Unbreakable
by Miss Starfire
Summary: Continuation of Wanted: With Misty's sake in their hands, the old rivals Gary and Ash join forces to learn the true reasons for the League's actions against her. They went in to save her life, but they will end up fighting for their own. COMPLETE
1. Let It Snow

**A/N:** Heya! I am back! You might be wondering why I am working on two stories, and the answer is that they are the same…somehow. Seeing that I have as many egoshippers as pokeshippers as readers, I've decided to continue the story in two simultaneous fics that branch out from "Wanted." If you are an egoshipper, you should read "Outlaw." If you are a pokeshipper, you should read "Unbreakable." If you are a double-shipper like me, catch up with both :) Both fics take place after the last chapter of "Wanted" and might cross at some point, but they are generally their own individual story. As happy as readers might be with this, this double writing also entitles that I will take longer to update because I won't update unless I have the corresponding chapter to each story. All or nothing, that's what I say! Anyway, I hope you enjoy either or, or both stories, and that they are good enough for you to stick to the end. Thank you for following me here. I wish you happy reading!

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 1: Let it Snow**

The moment Ash Ketchum felt a shiver run down his spine as a result of a recurring nightmare he opened his eyes and sat up straight on his _side_ of the bed. His eyes wandered around the room, and he was sweating bullets all over his face and upper body. His closed fists shook as a result of a feeling of anger he was not aware of and knew little about its cause. His chest rose up and down in such a quick manner that it hurt his lungs. His breathing was fast and loud, but not loud enough to awake his partner who was soundly asleep after throwing up her insides until the wee hours of the morning. He looked down to stare at her, knowing that whatever feeling of uncertainty that was consuming him from the inside out was not caused by her absence in the room; at least not this time around, nor by an unresolved argument between them like many other sleepless nights. There was nothing he could think of, not even the surreal images of his broken nightmare that could provoke such uncertainty within him. Yet, the oppressing feeling did not go away after reassuring himself she was still there, and it only grew stronger by the minute. He grabbed the still dry bottom of his long shirt and lifted it up to dry his face. It was freezing outside, but he felt he was burning inside as his back found sham comfort on his bed again.

Ash took deep relaxing breaths as his body had begun to tremble when the cold sweat began drying and sticking to his body. He closed his eyes, attempting for the drowsiness to return to him as he knew he could not afford to remain awake for long; not tonight, at least. Tomorrow was an extremely important day for him. Tomorrow he would become the unofficial official _heir_ of Maya Amherst's Pokemon Master position. Tomorrow Maya was going to announce a separation between being the Pokemon Master and the Pokemon League President, allowing him to compete for the position. Tomorrow his chance of challenging the Elite Four and finally defeating every single one of them was greater than all of his other opportunities combined in his entire life. There was nothing in this world that would stop him from finally reaching his goal, and a sleepless night was most certainly not going to ruin _his _day. While thinking about the exciting events that would take place tomorrow –or rather in a few hours from now, he had failed to accomplish a nearer goal: getting back to sleep. He stood up from bed and placed his feet inside his comfortable and warm slippers before tiptoeing across the room and making no typically _waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night_ noise as he reached the door and closed it after he was completely out in the hall.

He began walking slowly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the even darker hall that led him to the kitchen. He reached the door frame and slid his hand inside on the kitchen wall until his palm felt the light switch. He turned it on and winced at the sudden brightness that invaded him from left and right. He looked down to his feet to avoid the light while his eyes adjusted to the change as he walked towards the refrigerator and pulled out a milk carton. He turned around, milk still in hand, as he reached the stove and turned on one of the ranges. He placed the milk carton on the counter before bending down to the bottom cabinet door and searched for a cooking pot.

In a matter of seconds, the milk carton was back in the refrigerator and the milk in the pot was slowly heating up on the stove. Ash held and played with an empty glass in his hands as he waited for the milk to be ready to do its job: sending him back to dreamland. He then tapped on the counter with his fingers and stared at the still cold milk on the stove. He hoped that boredom would get the best of him and would make him feel sleepy before the milk was ready but he knew the chances of him having such luck were close to none. He was too overjoyed about tomorrow's events, and having not felt this way in a long time added to the thrill of the entire situation. He sighed and extended his arm and upper body three feet to his left to reach the remote control of the small TV that was only one foot way from him to his right.

He pressed the _ON_ key with his right index finger while his left hand held the weight of his slightly tilted head. He turned up the volume high enough for him to hear the sound of the TV over the building's heater system, which had not been off in hours, but low enough to not wake up half of Indigo Plateau. He sighed when he saw ten channels taken over by infomercials and continued to browse the lineup until he saw a map of the country on the screen. The weather news anchor was on, explaining how the cold front that had engulfed his new city was quickly becoming the worst one in the last hundred years. The weather anchor showed streamed videos of snow on top of the mountains, a possible list of schools and roads that could be closed for the starting of the working week in two days, as well as the current wind gusts and temperatures in major cities. It was fifteen degrees Fahrenheit in most places all around Kanto, Indigo Plateau included.

Ash shivered again.

After the weatherman was done with his job of telling the world how bad their day and week was going to be, the news anchor began talking about their main story of the night.

_"In other news, still little is known about the cause of the fire that completely destroyed the Pokemon Gym in Cerulean City last night…"_

Ash's body slowly straightened up.

_"City officials fear the cold weather and gusty winds made it more difficult to control on time. Several Pokemon are presumed dead."_

Ash's hand reached his mouth, covering an inaudible scream that was ready to spit out of his mouth. He shakily tuned up the volume to hear better, this time not caring about who he woke up with the sound.

_"Cerulean Pokemon Gym Leader, Misty Waterflower, had just returned home a few days ago from the hospital she is now a resident of again. Last week, after Jake Dragon had attempted to earn the Cascade Badge and his efforts had been futile, the aspiring trainer resorted to using a Pikachu with an illegal underwater breather to win the battle. The attack ended in almost a tragedy when the Leader was electrically shocked and almost drowned but she was released a few days before the end of the probationary period. She is now in stable condition but suffered burns and mild smoke intoxication; only the Pokemon that she carried with her survived. She was found lying on the grass after Gary Oak took her out of the building."_

"Misty almost _died_?"

_"The Pokemon League officials aided interim Gym Leader Gary Oak to repair the Gym in order for it to finish its probationary time, which ended hours before the fire started. Gary Oak's whereabouts became unknown after he was checked up by paramedics after saving the Leader, and there is a rumor that Misty Waterflower might have been somehow involved in the starting of the fire. Whether or not the Gym Leader will be convicted is still unclear…"_

Ash turned off the TV, his head hung and his eyes closed. His brain hit him with hundreds of images of her. His nose picked up her scent. His skin felt her warmth. His heart ached at the possibility of losing her, especially while he was far away from her. He knew how this felt. He had suffered it when Pikachu died. He had left him alone only to return to say goodbye to his tiny lifeless body. He did not want to return to Cerulean to say goodbye to Misty's cold and stiff self. This had been the second time her life had been in danger, and she had survived it again because Gary had been there for her. Gary was gone now. She was all alone. He was not going to allow for her to die alone in a dark, cold hospital room. He was not going to allow her to die on him at all.

_"She needs me."_

He opened his eyes, small tears staining his puffy cheeks. His fists and jaw clenched to avoid sobbing. He was a cry baby. He had always been one, but tonight he could not afford to cry. He needed that energy to save her and right what he had wronged in her life. Tonight he would begin to make it all better for her, even if it cost him his dream.

His milk was ready but he did not think he could drink it anymore. There was nothing in this world that would make him sleep again tonight, and _nothing_ in this world that could stop him from leaving Indigo Plateau as soon as possible; not even his life-long dream soon becoming a reality. He had failed her once before; he was not going to fail her again.

A sudden rush of energy surrounded him. He stood up before turning off the stove and running to the telephone, practically slamming himself against the wall as he tore a piece of paper from the notepad that was attached to the wall. He looked for something to write with but there was nothing useful around. He frantically opened and closed drawers, cabinets and looked under the tables and seats, searching for anything that could do the trick. He crawled around the kitchen floor, looking under the cabinets and behind the stove and refrigerator, hoping the damned pen that was supposed to be next to the pad had fallen somewhere near.

_"Where's a pen when you need one?"_

He stood up and remained standing in the middle of the kitchen, his eyes red, and his heart beating so fast he could hear the echo of it in his ears. He was breathing heavily as he felt the room spin around him. The piece of paper he had torn was crunched inside his fist while the _pen_ he was looking for was in his other hand.

He stopped breathing for a second and looked down.

He stared at the pen and realized it had been there all along playing with his fingers.

He looked up.

"_What the fuck is wrong with me?"_

He shook his head and used his sleeve to dry his eyes as he approached the counter and began writing a random note for Dawn: _"I've got things to do. I'll be back soon. Don't look for me. Ash."_ It was not every informative but he did not want to involve her in what he was about to do. Misty needed his help and for both of their sakes he was not going to turn his back on her again.

He threw the pen on the counter, grabbed the small piece of paper in his right hand, and turned off the light on his way out of the kitchen. He took a fast pace to his room, hoping the commotion had not woken up Dawn. He reached his room placed his hand on the doorknob, turning it as quietly as possible. He slowly pushed the door open and tiptoed his way around the room. He reached the bed and stared at Dawn who was unaware of her surroundings and had not other worry in the world but her pregnancy. He sighed at the scene.

"I'm sorry, baby," He whispered at his unborn child.

Truth be told, he did not love or care for Dawn one bit. He had used her as a low replacement for Misty but he never knew his little game would take him this far. He did not blame her for almost _everything_, but he did blame himself, and he felt the only person who had no blame at all was the baby –_his_ baby, which Dawn now carried inside of her. He now had new issues to resolve before he could devote himself to his baby, and he could not feel accomplished until he fulfilled them all. The moment he had found out he was going to become a father, he had decided to forget about Misty and everything they once shared in their lives, but he knew she needed him right now. He looked down at the bed and dropped the wrinkly note on his pillow before walking backwards while grabbing the closest jacket and his wallet, and disappeared behind the door.

He ran down the hall, attempting his best to avoid the furniture and failing when he hit his pinky toe on the doorframe of the front door. He cursed it out, going down the front stairs as he jumped on one foot, and then cursed some more when the freezing wind chill embraced him like a thick blanket of ice. He reached the sidewalk and immediately forgot about his sore toe when the realization of how unprotected he was to the current climate dawned on him. The jacket he had grabbed was very thin, but he could not afford to lose more time and go back to his room to better dress himself for the weather. He also did not want to run the risk of being surprised by Dawn.

He surrounded his body with his arms as he slowly and carefully walked down the empty and almost pitch-dark streets of Indigo Plateau. There were no cars on sight, and the only noticeable sounds were the cries of the wind and the raspy deep breaths he was taking behind the fabric of the sleeves of his jacket. His toes were becoming numb as the wind picked up, bringing snowflakes with it that settled on the uncovered bare skin of his feet. The city was deserted and about to get hit by several inches of ice and snow. Weather advisories had warned the citizens to remain inside closed doors unless it was absolutely and entirely necessary for them to leave the comfort and warmth of their homes. Ash had to absolutely and entirely get to his home in Pallet Town to change clothes before he passed out on the snow on his way to Cerulean.

He arrived to the parking lot of the building and realized he had forgotten his car keys. He had no option but to use his bicycle to get home. He walked towards the back of his truck to untie the bicycle from it but soon remembered that the bicycle was chained to the truck. He had no keys. He had no winter clothes. He neither had enough cash money to call a cab, nor did he have a phone. He had all the reasons in the world to go back to the confines of his warm room and even warmer bed, but he had no will to do so. He did what he knew best: walk his way home.

He began walking across the parking lot forcing his mind to think about seeing her again rather than about the freezing weather haunting him. His head remained down to avoid the wind that was burning his cheeks, hands and feet. If he could make it to the main boulevard of Indigo Plateau he could try and hitch a ride with the first car that was willing to stop for a random, almost naked stranger walking on the streets. If that did not happen, he would stop at the nearest Pokemon Center and contact his mom to help him get home.

He reached the sidewalk of the boulevard and began walking in the direction to the exit of Indigo Plateau. He felt grateful that the boulevard was well illuminated and that the business around it blocked the wind chill a bit. Everything was closed and locked, and he was yet to see a car or another idiot walking outside at four in the morning like him. The sun would not come up until around seven, meaning he still had three hours of pure cold. The Pokemon Center was about ten blocks away from where he was. If he forgot about the ice building up on his back, and the increased fall snowflakes he could make it there just in time.

He again forced his mind to think about the reason why he was doing this. He was going to help Misty. He was going to apologize to her. He was going to set her free. He knew that there was a great possibility that after all his efforts to help her in the end she would still choose being with Gary than being with him. He did not care. He could not be with her anyway. He had to be a man and take responsibility for his actions, even if it meant watching his friend marrying his girl. He knew that Gary could make her happier than he ever could. She deserved to be happy, and Ash felt he had made her suffer long enough.

He continued to walk as he remembered the last night he was in Pallet Town before accepting his job in Indigo Plateau. Maya had been contacting him by phone, e-mail and through her assistants to offer him a position to work with her. He had declined the offer every single time, and every single time he declined it he was told another small truth about his life. Maya had done her research and knew Ash's career from beginning to what he had eaten the night before. The more he talked to representatives of the League, the more he hated saying no.

He knew an offer like the one he had been given was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it had coincided with the night he and Misty had become physically intimate for the first time. He could recall every single detail of that night when he was first offered to leave his life as he knew it to join the higher-ups of the League.

_Ash opened his eyes in the middle of the night only to stare at the bare redhead in front of him. Her long hair covered only the essentials as the blanket was as low as the bottom part of her back. He smiled at the scene and used the back of his hand to remove strands of her from her face, and then allowed his hand to follow the path of her curves from her shoulder, down her spine and until he reached the blanket. He pulled it up and she welcomed the gesture by mumbling something and pulling the blanket closer to her. Hours ago the blanket had gotten on their way and they had pushed it down to the feet of the bed. Their bodies had already cooled down and now required the comfort of its warmth. _

_Ash would have become another victim of the blanket of he had gotten the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. He sighed at his misery and diligently stood up from bed and visited the toilet butt-naked. He sighed in relief as he left the bathroom and headed to the kitchen. His mother was out and Brock had stayed with Professor Oak as they tried to perfect new food for healthier Pokemon breeding. It had been the perfect night to come closer to each other. They had been left alone; it was their anniversary, and they loved each other._

_He fixed himself a quick midnight snack and shoved it down his throat. He was hoping Misty had woken up for whatever reason and that round three was soon to come. Even though they were new at this experience, them both, trainer and leader, knew that practice made perfect._

_He walked by the phone and realized there were three missed calls, and three voicemails. He chuckled at the thought of his mom checking up on him and Misty, and the weird advice she must have left in her message. He lifted the phone and after entering a few keys he began listening to the messages stored._

"_Hi, Ash, this is Brock. I'll be spending the night at Professor Oak's place. If you get this message before I stop by to tell you in person call me to my cell phone, ok? Bye!"_

"_Hi, Ash, this is your mom. I'm sure you have a good reason not to answer the phone at seven at night. Be careful and make sure you change your underwear. Goodbye!"_

_Ash chuckled._

"_Greetings, Ash Ketchum, this is Maya Amherst from the Pokemon League,"_

"_Pokemon League?"_

"_I have been trying to contact you in regards to a very exciting position in Indigo Plateau as one of my apprentices. This is your last known address and will attempt contact again tomorrow around the same time. Please make arrangements to attend to my call as it can benefit your Pokemon trainer career and the future of the Pokemon League. Thank you. Goodbye."_

_Ash furrowed. _

_He deleted the first two messages and saved the last one to listen to it at least five more times before hanging up. He did not know if this was true or a prank from Gary who was also in town, but he knew who Maya was. She had just beaten the Elite Four to become the new Pokemon Master. He had battled her during the semifinals and she had defeated him with flying colors. _

_He walked back to his room and saw Misty opening his eyes, smiling at him. As soon as he laid eyes on her he forgot about the offer he had just been given. He did not care about the world at the moment. He only cared about feeling her again tonight._

His face was lit with a bright smile the memory of that night brought to him. They way she looked at him, and the way he loved her that night was something he would never forget, and the very reason why he had began sleeping with Dawn. He had tried to replicate that amazing night but it never follow through. The more he tried, the more he failed until he realized it was not the act that made it fail, but the fact that it was with Dawn and not with Misty. That night had been the last time he and Misty had spent quality time together. His relationship had since then slowly deteriorated until the night he broke up with her. The calls from the League had increased, and the offer had gotten more and more tempting, but the condition to get it had not changed: he had to spend a year in Indigo Plateau, alone. Maya believed his friends and family were distractions to his career, and had suggested that his interest in pleasing them had been a great reason why he had not been able to fully pursuit his dream. She had promised him he would be allowed to return to Pallet after a year of training, and if he had not been so immature about the entire situation and had not killed his relationship with Misty he would have taken it. By the time he realized what he had done, he was running towards Indigo Plateau with only Brock and Pikachu running behind him.

After Misty had tricked him into staying in Pallet Town for his party, he decided this was the best time and place to break the news to her, to all of them. He had finally accepted the offer and was going to disappear from their lives for twelve months. He knew his mom would understand. He knew Brock would understand. He knew Misty would not. In fact, he knew that Misty knew he was using this life-changing opportunity not only to achieve his dream, but also to run away from the problem he had caused. He had nothing. He had screwed it up. The best thing was to let her go.

_The phone rang in the Ketchum's home. Ash, annoyed by the people celebrating his birthday, used this as an excuse to run away from them to answer the phone. He lifted the speaker and received the call. "Ash Ketchum, who's this?"_

_"Oh, my God! Like, it's the boyfriend! Ash! This is Lily, is Misty around?"_

_Ash's eyebrows twitched. Looking for Misty meant talking to Misty. He did not want to talk to her until he had to later on tonight. "She's out with my mom buying stuff," he lied._

_"What? No! She's bonding with the in-laws I see. Well, we need to talk to her, like, now. It's urgent."_

_"Can I take a message?"_

_Ash heard whispering in the background, probably coming from the other two hyperactive sisters. He waited a few seconds before he spoke again. "Hello?"_

_"Sorry, sweetie. Well, I guess it's better you tell her than us. Are you writing this down?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Ok, so, the League is like, kicking us from our home because we suck as Leaders. We need Misty to cover for us for six months. Tell her we are leaving, like, ASAP. We need her to come back home."_

_"Cover for you?"_

_"Yeah, the League's sending us to this training for six months to, like, 'un-suck' us, and we need her to take care of the gym while we're gone. Think you can live without your girl for six months?"_

_"I think I can survive."_

_"Oh, my God! You're the best! K, we've gotta go but you tell her that, k? Love you, bye!"_

_Click._

_Ash sighed and hung up the phone. He dreaded talking to Misty but she had to know she had to go back home. He knew she would not want to go to Cerulean the way their relationship was going, and he also knew she would not let him go to Indigo Plateau until she felt their relationship was saved._

_"Unless…"_

_Ash smirked. He had the perfect solution for both dilemmas. He knew it was not the best solution. He knew it was the lowest a person could fall. But he also knew nothing else that could work and could avoid him the long and painful confrontation. _

_"…unless there is no relationship __**to**__ save…"_

_Ash smiled proudly at his cowardly plan before heading outside his home and finding Misty standing outside. _

Ash felt ashamed of his decision of that night. He could have said not to the offer and could have gone to Cerulean with her. He could have talked to her, found someone to replace her in Cerulean and take her to Indigo with him. He could have worked things out, apologized to her, go their own separate ways and pick up where they left off six months after.

He could have shot her on the head and it would have been more honorable than what he had done.

Yet, he had been a young and stupid kid, and the idea he had seen after he had hung the phone seemed good at the time.

_"Same as the idea of walking outside to the cold with nothing more than the same protection as being naked seemed good twenty minutes ago."_ He thought.

The familiar surroundings forced him to stop and look up.

Fortunately, he had arrived to the doors of the Pokemon Center of Indigo Plateau.

Unfortunately, the doors were locked.

Ash hit the glass doors with his head.

_"Fuck."_

He hit it a few more times before realizing his painful reality: he was stuck in the middle of the street, snow had begun falling, he was half-naked, the wind had picked up, and that the only place that could have provided him with some shelter was closed. He looked back to where he had come from and saw the steps he had left on the path he had taken to get here were now gone.

"I _am_ fucked."

He banged his head and hands against the door as he screamed for Nurse Joyce or anyone that could be walking by the dark lobby to open the door. He could not just stay out there, and he could not go back. He had to go inside or he would not make it through the night.

_"I didn't come out here to die."_

In a matter of seconds his situation had worsen. The snow had increased and the street had disappeared underneath it. He turned around and rested his back against the glass doors. He had lost feeling of his arms and legs, as well as his nose. He tried to scream for help but opening his mouth only made his chest hurt. He tried to take deep breaths but the cold wind brought sharp pains to his throat and lungs. He then resorted to using his nose but the air was so cold that is made him stop halfway through. He began choking for air.

_"I'm gonna die here."_

He took his hands to his throat and scratched it in a desperate attempt to get air into his lungs. His legs slowly gave in and his back began sliding down the door as his entire body began shutting down. He hit the ground with an inaudible thud as the snow began falling at a faster rate slowly covering him with it. He became lightheaded and his head bobbed erratically. His eyes felt heavier than usual, and his sleepy state returned.

_"I'm sorry about…I should've…"_

_"Misty, I lost another battle because I haven't trained enough, not because you're with me." _

_Ash and Misty sat on his favorite hill in Pallet Town after they had returned from Indigo Plateau, full of defeat. Every year he participated he got closer and closer, but he kept losing in more and more pathetic ways. _

_"And you don't train enough because I'm with you. I distract you way too much. Maybe next time you should go with Brock only. I can stay here and watch you on TV…"_

_Ash pulled Misty to him and kissed her long and passionately. He savored her lips at his own pace and stroked her cheek with his thumb before running down her neck and her breasts. He stopped and kept his eyes closed for one more second before a smile grew on his face as the last of her scent and taste invaded his body._

_He opened his eyes and dug his stare on her eyes before speaking again._

_"I love you, Misty."_

_She smiled widely before holding his hand. This was the first time he had said he loved her. Leave it to Ash Ketchum to choose the most random places to confess such things. Misty had been waiting for it. She had felt it since the day they met, and she could finally tell him without being afraid of scaring him away. She held his hands between hers and kissed it before placing it on her right cheek. "I love you, Ash. Now don't you give up on me, ok?"_

_"I won't…for you."_

_She smiled again before taking control of the next long kissing session between them._

"Misty…"

"You fucking idiot, I've been looking all over for you."

"What?"

"Who fucking _told_ you it was smart to walk around in the middle of a winter storm with your nuts exposed?"

"Where am I?"

"You only get one pair of nuts; they don't grow back, y'know?"

"Who are you?"

"Santa Claus. Now shut the fuck up and try and stay awake."

"Gary?"

Ash opened his eyes to realize he was neither outside the locked Pokemon Center nor was he out in the cold anymore. He was sitting in a much comfortable car seat, warm air hitting him and bearable air filling his lungs. He did not remember how or when the surroundings had changed. "Gary…is that you?"

Gary kept his eyes on the road as it had been difficult to drive from Indigo Plateau to Pallet Town. They were about fifteen minutes away from his final destination, but the current climatologically conditions had doubled travel times. Finding Ash had been a difficult task.

Ash felt consciousness slowly return to him and he began sitting straight on the passenger seat. He placed his open hands on the air vents to heat them a little bit more as his brain began connecting thoughts and senses. Gary looked terrible. He smelled of thick smoke and his clothes had burnt spots, as well as his face showed ash on it. Ash knew Gary was not one to show himself out in public in such a degrading demeanor. "How did you find me?"

"Only guy walking around in the snow and stopping at a Pokemon Center. Not too hard to spot."

Ash remained quiet for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was happening. Moments ago he had been lying on his death bed outside a Pokemon Center, and now he was driving with Gary to only he knew where. _"Perhaps that is what I should ask next."_

"Where are we going?"

"Your place. You need decent winter clothes."

"After that?"

Gary sighed. He did not know what Ash knew, and he did not know if Ash knew what he knew. He could not tell him everything right away, though. He had to wait a little longer. He had to find out what was out in the open first before pouring down the bucket of cold, cold water on his childhood friend. "The Cerulean Gym burned down last night."

"I heard."

"You _heard_?"

"Saw it on the news. Why do you think I'm out here?"

"Because…" Gary was about to make a snotty remark about Ash trying to avoid Dawn but he realized it was not the best moment to do so. Time was little, priceless, and precious. "What else did you hear?"

"I heard Misty's in the hospital. That Pokemon died. And that the location of your ass is unknown."

"True. True. And _partially _true."

"Does Misty know you're here?"

"No. She's still unconscious."

"How do you know? News said you ran away right after…"

"I snuck into her hospital room to check up on her before I came here looking for you."

"Snuck?"

"I take you haven't heard about the rumors…"

"That the police are blaming Misty for the fire?"

_"Close enough,"_ Gary thought. "Yeah, the League was expecting my report yesterday but I never made it out of Cerulean."

"Why not?"

"Long, long, _long_ story. All you need to know is where your winter clothes are. We're leaving as soon as you change clothes. We're heading to Cerulean."

"Is Misty in danger?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I ain't gonna wait to see if she is."

"You could've helped her _without_ me and be _her_ hero again. Why did you come looking for _me_?"

"Because if the League finds me, Misty is fucked."


	2. This Just In

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 2: This just in…**

The road had been dark, humid, cold, and snowy, but after several hours of patience and slow driving, Ash and Gary had finally made it to Ash's home in Pallet Town. The sun was still hidden, but the moon was nowhere to be seen. The only visible light came from the headlights of Gary's car before he parked and turned off his vehicle right in front of Dehlia's front porch. He stared at Ash's small home and was reminded of his own big mansion on the other side of town. He did not know how far the League would go to try to find him but in the back of his mind he feared for the wellbeing of his _old man_. After their task was done here, he had planned to go to his own home and warn his grandfather about the dangers he was sure would come to him. He had just betrayed the most important organization in the world. He doubt Maya and her League would go down so easily.

Ash looked outside his window and realized his mother's garden was now ruined. The ice had frozen most of her flowers and not even Mr. Mime could do anything to bring the lost garden back to life. After his dad had left for training it had been only he and his mom. The first couple of years had not been as difficult since his dad had been very diligent when it came to sending them both letters to tell them where he had been or where he was headed next. The letters came every month at first, but the more time it passed the longer it took for his father to stay in touch with them. Eventually the letters stopped and Ash realized his dad was no longer attached to this broken family. Ash was everything Dehlia had.

But then Ash himself left for training for ten years before he joined the League. The night he had found his mother crying over old letters from his father was the night he had promised himself he would never turn out to be like him. Yet, the more he wanted to avoid making his father's mistakes, the more he made them and the farther apart he became from his mother. Even though he still thought about her and cared for her very much, truth was that this garden was all that she had now. And now the garden was gone.

Ash lowered his head in disgust to himself. He had made so many mistakes in the last years and had not truly realized they had not only screwed up his life, but the lives of the people around him as well, perhaps even more than his own. He at least had an address that included the words "Indigo Plateau," while Brock wrongfully believed Misty hated him, Misty was unconscious and alone in some hospital room, Gary was running away from his job, and Dehlia was going to wake up to the news of her garden being long gone.

_"And I'm gonna have a baby."_

Ash sighed before looking the other way and asked Gary what the plan was. "You need a hot shower and warm clothes before we leave. You have the keys to your house with you?"

Ash flinched. "I don't have any keys at _all_. Let's just knock. I'm sure my mom's there."

"What Misty ever saw on you, I'll _never_ know…"

Gary removed the keys from the car before opening the door and quickly heading out as he ran to the porch. He was wearing a slightly thicker jacket than Ash was, but it was not enough to protect himself from the blizzard following them. He had left his clothes next to a very much pissed Jake before running to the melting Gym, and had not gone back to retrieve them. Sadly enough, the report he was to present to the League had also been left there. After he had made sure he was not being followed, and that Misty was safe for the moment, he had rented a car under Bill's name and drove to Indigo Plateau. He knew he did not have much time before the news of his disappearance were made public, and the fact that his job was never fully completed would make him an outlaw. His only chance to save Misty was to find Ash and leave her safety in his hands.

"_But the idiot was killing himself during a winter storm…"_

He did not know if he could trust Ash with Misty's safety, seeing as all those years they had traveled together, Misty had been the one who took care of Ash and Brock. However, there was no one else he could think of that would help Misty the way Ash would –except Gary himself, but it was just a matter of time for him to be sent far away from her. The League did not forgive traitors, and the moment he had ran away from his duty he had become one.

Ash stared at Gary from inside the car as he shook and jumped up and down to keep himself warm. Ash dreaded exiting the car as he knew the feeling of being out there with _"your nuts exposed."_ He took a deep breath as he opened the door and ran to the porch. He knocked frantically on the door and yelled for his mom to open the door. The wind was picking up as the storm that had hit Indigo Plateau made its way south to Pallet Town.

Ash shook the same way Gary did and felt the need to turn back to make sure no one had followed them. He stared at both sides of the road and quickly realized there was no way they could be tracked for now. The trail of the car had disappeared already under a fresh coat of pure, white snow. His eyes went from the white road to the black car. Ash frowned. This car did not resemble Gary's red convertible at all.

"Where's your car, Gary?"

"At home."

"Where did you get this one?"

"I stole it. Hurry up before the police come."

Ash's eyes opened wide as the idea of having them both arrested for stealing a car crossed his mind. Gary knew he was pushing his limits by lying to him, but he needed a warm place to finally sit down. It seemed to Gary that Ash was not cold enough to knock louder on that door, and resorting to cruel sense of humor was all he had at the moment.

Ash knocked again and this time he heard steps coming from inside the house. Ash smiled in relief.

The door slightly cracked open as if the person inside the house was assessing the situation before fully exposing itself. Neither of the two young men outside expected any less from a woman living alone, and having two men knocking on her door in the early hours of the morning, but Ash spoke to make the situation work at a faster pace, hoping she would recognize him in his current condition. "Mom, it's me, Ash."

The door opened completely and both men outside the door gawked. There was very little light around them, but they did not need the sun up in the top of the sky to realize that the person who was in front of them was not Dehlia Ketchum. Ash looked at the person at the door and then looked at Gary who had the same look Ash had at the moment. Gary looked at the person in front of them in utter disbelief as he spoke.

"_Gramps_?"

"Gary?"

"Professor Oak?"

"Ash?"

A moment of awkward silence followed. The three men took turns to stare at each other while thousands of questions wandered in their minds. The old Oak was standing in front of them, in a _bathrobe_, and Dehlia was nowhere to be seen or _heard_. Suddenly, the freezing weather around them was not as bad as it had seemed to them thirty seconds ago.

"What are you kids doing here?"

"I _live_ here," Ash said.

"I'm running away from the law," Gary replied.

Professor Oak opened the door and allowed the two youngsters to walk inside to the sweet feeling of warmth of the living room. Ash could not help to stare at his _mentor_ as he made his way around his home like if his own, and then disappeared down the hall that led to his mother's _bedroom_. Gary pretended not to care while he tried to erase all possible thoughts that appeared in his mind at the current circumstances. "Think your mom's home?"

Ash glared at Gary, cursing him underneath his breath for the implication of his comment. He then sat on the couch and crossed his arms. Gary sat on the couch in front of him and took a deep breath. _"At least we made it this far,"_ Gary thought.

Steps were heard coming from the hall, and in two seconds Dehlia and Oak had appeared in front of them, bathrobe twins and all. Dehlia immediately ran to her son and hugged him dearly. "Ash, what are you doing here so late? Why are you so poorly dressed?"

_"At least I'm dressed…"_ Ash thought.

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum, your son is an ass, y'know? I found him on the street, wearing only that."

"What? Is this true, Ash?"

"Yes, mom, but…"

Gary smiled. He loved placing Ash in situations like these. He did not know why he felt the need to do this again tonight. He wanted to believe he did it because it was fun, tradition perhaps, but a voice in the back of his head told him he teased him because it made him feel nothing had changed, and that nothing was turning bad in their lives.

"It's really cold outside, Mrs. Ketchum; I think Ash needs a really warm sponge bath."

"You're right Gary. Come on, Ash, I'll get your clothes."

"No, mom…I can…"

"You can nothing! Go run the water, I'll be right there."

Ash sighed. He knew arguing with his mother was a lost cause. As much as he wanted to ask the reason why Professor Oak was hanging out in his home this late at night wearing nothing but a bathrobe, the need of feeling clean and warm was just a little bit more tempting at the moment. The humid clothes were sticking to his body and making him feel even colder than the blizzard outside. He would deal with Gary later as well. Right now all he wanted was a piece of his decency back before heads begun rolling on the Ketchum's kitchen floor.

Dehlia and Ash disappeared from the scene, leaving the Oaks to fight a silent argument disguised as a battle of stares. Professor Oak walked around the couch where Gary was sitting and sat right next to his grandson. Silence surrounded them for what seemed eternity, but was only enough time to hear Ash getting in the shower, and Dehlia getting busy preparing herself for guests.

"You need a shower too, you look like hell."

Gary smirked. His grandfather was not one to cuss in front of him, or at all, but he knew that for him to make a comment like that was only because it was absolutely and undeniably true.

"I don't have any clean clothes."

"I'll call your sister to bring you clothes here. You can't go back home now."

Gary furrowed. "Why not?"

"The League called me, they are looking for you."

Gary sighed. "That didn't take long. What'd they tell you?"

"They said you left your job unfinished and without warning, and took confidential and sensitive documents with you."

"True, and _partially_ true."

Dehlia walked inside the living room, forcing Gary to cut his story short for the moment. She placed her hand on his shoulder to grab his full attention before she spoke to him. "Gary, I called May and she's bringing you clean clothes. How do you like your eggs?"

Gary wanted to say he did not need a bath, and that he did not need breakfast, but his body overrode his mind and surrendered to the possibility of a warm bath and food before being welcomed to the apathy of a cold jail cell that screamed rape.

"Sunny-side up, ma'am. Think you can throw in some pancakes too?"

"I most certainly can! They will be nice and warm when you get out from that bath."

"Thank you."

Gary looked down and sighed again. Mrs. Ketchum had been the only mom he had known after his own had died. When he and Ash used to hang around when still young, Mrs. Ketchum had treated him like a son. Even after his friendship with Ash began deteriorating, Dehlia's motherly figure never dissipated from Gary's mind or her own. Ash used to complain about her overprotection and Gary always scolded him when he did. Gary knew that sometimes Dehlia went a little bit over the line when it came to taking care of Ash, but Gary had learned to appreciate that overprotection when his own mother was gone. Even though he pretended not to need anyone else in the world but himself, he desperately needed someone to watch over him, to ask him how his day was, to show that someone actually _cared_ about him.

"Gary, you're in deep, deep, deep trouble. You need to tell me what really happened."

"It's a long story, Gramps."

"Tell me what I need to know. I can't help you if you don't tell me what went wrong."

Gary cracked his knuckles. "Ok."

Professor Oak nodded.

"I and Misty got the Gym up and running, everything that needed to be done was done, I just needed to turn in the final report. I was going to quit the League after I did…"

"Quit the League?"

"I wanted to go back to being a trainer. Helping Misty become a Gym Leader made me miss the traveling days."

"Why didn't you get to turn in the papers?"

"I run into some trouble while heading to Indigo Plateau, and then I saw the Gym catch fire."

"The Gym? What Gym?"

Gary looked up and stared at his grandfather with utter disbelief. The League had told him Gary was in trouble, but he did not know the whole story. This was going to take longer than he thought.

"Gramps, the Gym, _Misty's Gym_, is gone. It burned down last night."

"What? How? Where is she? Is she ok?"

Gary nodded.

"For the moment she is. I was in the…middle…of something and had to drop my bags and run to the Gym. I took her out of it. She's in the hospital at Cerulean. When I went back to get my papers they were gone."

"Why didn't you report that to the police? To the League?"

"There's more to that."

Professor Oak rubbed his forehead. He did not know the Gym had burned down, or that Misty had been injured again.

Ash walked inside the living room, looking clean and renewed. Dehlia told Gary to take a bath while she finished preparing breakfast and her sister dropped off his clothes. Gary nodded and disappeared down the hall.

Ash walked to the kitchen and turned on the TV, he switched the channel to the first news channel he saw and turned up the volume. Professor Oak joined the Ketchum's at the kitchen table.

_"Today was scheduled to be big day for the Pokemon League as its President, Maya Amherst, was going to announce a separation between being the President of the League and the current Pokemon Master, allowing for a exceedingly skilled and devoted trainer to achieve the highest title a trainer could ever get, yet, this ceremony has been tainted and possibly annulled."_

Dehlia and Oak looked at Ash who watched the channel attentively, as he knew the reason why the ceremony was in the verge of being canceled. He knew his mother and his mentor would be terribly concerned, and by the conversation he and his mother had had in the bathroom, he knew that they were both clueless to the current situation Gary and Misty had in their hands.

_"After the Cerulean Gym burned down yesterday, Misty Waterflower was taken to Cerulean's Hospital with third degree burns and mild carbon dioxide intoxication. Pokémon League Representative Gary Oak once again saved Waterflower from certain death, but city officials as well as League officials fear this is not an act of heroism anymore."_

The news anchor switched to a video of Maya having a news conference with several media. The words _LIVE BROADCAST_ blinked on the bottom of the screen.

_"Ms. Amherst, how true is the rumor that Misty Waterflower and/or Gary Oak set up the fire to cover up illegal actions made by the Cerulean Gym?"_

Dehlia and Professor Oak's mouths dropped.

_"I am afraid the rumors are almost entirely true. Miss Waterflower had been involved in several accidents that seem like a rollercoaster of bad luck. We were truly concerned about her well-being and had backed her up every single time. However, this time around her unstable psyche has cost millions of dollars invested in the Cerulean Gym, as well as the lives of innocent Pokémon that died in the fire."_

_"What was Gary Oak's role in this?"_

_"We believe Gary Oak had tried to aid Miss Waterflower as part of his assigned duty of reestablishing the credibility of the Cerulean Gym. Yet, we are also led to believe he did not follow our policies and guidelines and his decision to take matters in his own hands caused Miss Waterflower's documented mental illness to push her to these limits. Mr. Oak disappeared from the scene and is withholding valuable information from the League in the form of official reports that were due to the League last night."_

_"Is there any reason to believe these actions are part of a personal vendetta against the League and/or its members?"_

_"We do not understand the reasons why two of our brightest and most hardworking members of the League would resort to such actions, but we will not stop until everything is out in the open and all of these issues have been resolved. Our officials are now delegating on the best course of action to take, and they will provide me with a final resolution of the next steps to take before dawn today. I will review it and approve it to allow the proper authorities to begin doing their job."_

_"Are you implying Oak or Waterflower will be legally charged with some sort of accusation?"_

_"We do not wish to speculate, but my advisors have suggested that Miss Waterflower could be charged with arson and second-degree murder, and Mr. Oak could be charged with fraud and conspiracy against the Pokemon League. It has been also brought to my attention that there is some evidence that Mr. Oak had engaged in an intimate relationship with Miss Waterflower. As her supervisor, this action is unacceptable and will most likely become another charge against them both."_

"_Will the other three Waterflower sisters be charged as well?"_

"_At this point we do not know."_

"_Will anyone else who is closely involved or related to Waterflower and Oak be charged?"_

"_We are not sure at this point."_

_"Will this situation affect the ceremony planned for today?"_

_"The ceremony will not take place, but the separation will become official today anyway. We wish we could celebrate this occasion with our members, but in the midst of the current situation we are unable to do so. However, starting at 8:00 a.m. today, the League will begin preparing for their annual tournament to begin looking for the next Pokemon Master. The Pokemon Master position is now open for grabs."_

_"How do you feel, personally, about this entire situation?"_

_"I feel betrayed as I think every member in the honorable Pokemon League feels betrayed. These two young adults were highly known and recognized for their hard work, and devotion. It is a shame things turned out to be this way. We will deal with it, day by day."_

_"Anything else you wish to add, Ms. Amherst?"_

_"The League and all its representatives will not stop until the reputation of the association is cleaned. We've worked so far to make the Pokémon League the respectable association it is now. We feel confused, betrayed, shocked, and disappointed with the actions of these two members. We will not rest until the truth has come to the light."_

_"Thank you, Ms. Amherst."_

All three of them stared at the television as the news anchor announced the end of the live news press and moved on to other news. Silence dawned upon them, slowly realizing the shocking degree of the situation.

The door bell rang allowing them to return back the current cruel reality that was life.

"T-that must be May. I'll get that," Dehlia said as she ran to the door to gather Gary's clothes.

Professor Oak looked at Ash who still did not fully comprehend the importance of his role in all this, and the full extent of the predicament Gary and Misty were in. He stared at the table as he ran his hand down his face. He took a deep, deep breath. His mind and heart were racing. "What else do you know, Ash?"

Ash looked up and stared at his mentor. The look on his face was only a reflection of Dehlia's own face at the moment while tending to the door. Ash knew that no matter what Gary had planned, or what he himself could think of, this was not just a matter of apologizing to the higher-ups and getting slapped on the wrists. This was the kind of _shit_ they never thought they would ever deal with in a Pokémon world.

"Ash, what _else_ do you know?"

"Same things you just heard."

"Do you think Misty actually…"

"NO!" Ash yelled as he hit the table with both of his fist and stood up from the chair. His fists trembled and his jaw clenched at the possibility of anyone believing, or even _implying_ that Misty would _ever_ willingly hurt any living thing.

"Ash, calm down…I didn't say she did anything wrong."

"But you are thinking about it!"

"No, I was merely going to ask if…"

"What is all this yelling?"

Ash and Professor Oak stared at Dehlia who had returned from her clothes hunting. She was holding a big gym bag full of Gary's belongings. May knew about the League's phone call, and she knew she would not see Gary in a long, long time. "I'm going to give this to Gary, we'll all have a nice, _calm_ breakfast when we come back, ok?"

"Yes, mom," said Ash while Professor Oak nodded.

Dehlia nodded in agreement before making her way out of the kitchen and heading down the hall. She took deep calming breaths before standing in front of the bathroom's door. She heard the water shut down and the shower curtain slide on the metal rod. Dehlia hesitated for a few more seconds before finally knocking on the door and calling out Gary's name.

"May just dropped off your stuff, lots of it."

Dehlia heard Gary ask for a moment while he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself. He then slowly opened the door, trying his best to cover most of his body. He was not ashamed of his body, but he still felt like a little boy around Mrs. Ketchum, and could not help the high-pitched "hi" that came out of his mouth when he saw her standing outside the door.

"May dropped off an entire bag of clothes and other things. You'll have lotsa choices! Don't take long, though. Breakfast's ready."

Gary nodded. "Thanks! I'll be out there in two minutes."

"Ok."

Dehlia turned around and walked down the hall she had come from, while Gary closed the door behind him. He looked through his stuff and found clean underwear and decent winter clothes to wear. He dried himself and after loving the feeling of clean undergarments on his skin, he pulled out a pair of blue jeans, a white turtle neck shirt, and a brown shell jacket. He was glad to see his sister had also packed the most comfortable and useful winter coat he had, as well as socks, boots, gloves and a scarf. He grabbed the brown scarf and placed it around his neck before getting his socks and brown boots on too.

He stared at his reflection on the mirror and _unbrushed_ his hair to perfection. He smiled at himself before grabbing his dirty clothes and placing them inside the gym bag.

"Ouch!"

Gary cursed as he pulled out his hand from inside the bag. Something had made a small but irritating cut on his little finger. He shook his hand before attempting to go back in the bag, this time more careful than before.

There was a folded paper.

Gary frowned and slowly opened the piece of paper. He straightened the sheet and began reading. It was a note from May, to him. It had today's date on the top.

_"Little Brother,_

_I don't understand what truly is going on, but remember that me and Grandpa love you and believe in you no matter what. We don't know what really happened, but we think you are in serious danger, and if you were at home you would be an easy target. Don't let them get you. I wish I could have seen you one last time, but I saw a police car around as I got here. Be careful, bro. Mom and Dad are watching over you."_

Gary's heart skipped a beat. He felt tears come to his eyes as he folded the paper again and placed it inside one of his pockets. He knew this would be the last time he would hear from his sister. This letter was all he had to hold on from her for a long time. Gary lowered his head as he allowed the few tears to run freely down his face before composing himself. He had too many things to do, and so many hearts to mend, but he doubt he would have the time. Never before had he missed his parents so much.

The smell of breakfast made its way from underneath the door. He packed the rest of his belongings and exited the bathroom. The scent of pancakes guided him to the kitchen and invited him to sit comfortably on the table where the other two men already sat. Dehlia placed the last batch of pancakes on the center of the table before finding a chair for herself.

"This looks great, Mrs. Ketchum. It's been a while since I've had one of your breakfasts!"

"Help yourself, Gary. You and Ash both need a lot of energy today."

"_And luck…"_

The four of them began having breakfast with the patience of a saint on any given day. The silence between them spoke thousands of words as the undeclared knowledge that this would be the last time they would sit down and have any kind of gathering like this surrounded them.

They smiled and joked, and shoved down almost everything that was edible on the table. The blizzard outside was not an issue anymore, and Ash hoped this wonderful morning would ease the pain of learning the garden was gone. Once this entire situation ended, Ash would make sure his mom had a new _garden_ to grow.

Gary enjoyed every little bit of food his mouth devoured. He had been through so much in the past months; he had forgotten the joy that having a good meal brought to even the most selfish men. He knew he had millions of issues to resolve, but he could not help to focus his energies in enjoying the food that had been placed in front of him rather than brainstorm how to fix his life.

Dehlia watched the two young boys –_men_, as they stuffed their mouths to their heart's desire. She had not seen Ash since Pikachu had died, and she had learned from the media that Ash was going to be a father. Dehlia did not approve the situation at all, but she knew that it was for Ash to deal with the consequences of his actions. Ash was a man now. He had chosen this path, and Dehlia could only hope he would learn the lessons and move on. She knew Ash did not love Dawn, and that Misty still held his heart. She always saw them ending up together, one way or another, and her heart ached to know that neither of them could be with the one they truly loved.

Professor Oak could not help to feel responsible for Gary's luck. His son had been taken away too soon, and Gary was the spitting image of his lost son. Gary acted like his father in so many ways, but had the heart of his mother as well. Gary was the perfect combination between ambitiousness and kindheartedness he had ever seen in his life. He had seen his son grow up all over again inside Gary. Even though the blood said _grandson_, his heart screamed _son_, and he knew Gary's heart felt the same way.

Breakfast ended and they all helped Dehlia clean up the mess. They spent a few more minutes making the kitchen spotless again before moving to the couch.

The moment of happiness had passed. Reality was knocking on their doors again.

Gary and Ash sat next to each other on the same couch while Dehlia and Professor Oak sat on separated couches themselves. Even though the relationship that was going on between the two adults had been revealed, more serious matters were at hand. They could explain the details of their newly found companionship later, when the tunnel was not so pitch dark.

"Gary, you need to tell me exactly what happened. We saw Maya on a news press while you were in the shower. You and Misty are getting arrested."

Gary sighed. He expected as much.

"Arrested for what?"

"Shitloads of things that I can't even remember, what happened?"

Gary looked at everyone and realized that if he did not tell them now, he would probably never have another chance. Gary nodded and gained everybody's full attention as he cleared his mouth and spoke.

"Someone has been trying to kill Misty."

"Why? Who? How do you know?"

Dehlia placed a hand on his son to calm him down. Even though they all had the same questions going through their minds, she knew yelling and screaming was not the best way to go.

"Well, as you know, she had several _accidents_ while I was with her. She fell down the stairs while finding a Magikarp, she was almost raped by a guy who tried to beat her in a Pokémon battle, she almost drowned, and she almost died in the fire…"

"Are you saying these are not isolated events?"

"No, they aren't."

"Why not?"

Gary sighed. "You see, me and Misty became close friends…"

"Only friends?"

"Yes, only friends."

"The League doesn't think so."

"The League can fuck itself."

Professor Oak smacked Gary up his head for cursing in front of Dehlia. "Hey! Ash said shitloads!" Dehlia smiled and said it was ok. Cursing was not the top of her worries at the moment.

"Anyway, Misty had to stay in bed for a few days after the drowning incident, so I took care of the gym. The day I left I ran into the guy who almost electrocuted her in a coffee shop."

"He was not arrested?"

"No, he was bailed by someone and let free. This guy is a complete ass. You can imagine my surprise seeing him on the streets."

Everyone nodded.

"He provoked me and we started fighting, I think he is the one who kept my clothes."

"Is this they guy who has been trying to kill Misty?"

"No, but he told me he worked for someone else. Her name is Emily Dragon."

"Who is she?"

"I don't know. I have never heard of her. She paid this guy to kill Misty but he screwed up, so he got the boot."

"Did he give up where she is at now?"

"He said he didn't know. I couldn't beat it out of him because that was when I realized the gym was on fire. I left him there, along with all my clothes and the League's report. I never made it to Indigo, and neither did the report."

"Do you have a copy of the report?"

"I sent the League a copy, they must have gotten it."

"They say you didn't. That is one of the charges."

"I did! I swear I did!"

"Well, they say they don't. It's you word against theirs."

"There are two more copies of this."

"Where are they?"

"One was in the gym…"

"That's useless…"

"And Misty has a copy too…"

"That's useless too…"

"…In her e-mail."

"But Misty is…unconscious."

"I know, and if the League is after me, I probably won't be a free man by the time she wakes up. That's why I came to get you, Ash. You'll be the only one free and close enough to the League to find out what really happened."

Ash nodded. "Why is this Emily Dragon person trying to kill her?"

"I don't know, but Misty may know why or at least tell us who she is."

"How about Jake?"

"Jake's last name is Dragon. I think they are related, but he denied it."

"So, we need to find Jake too."

Gary nodded. "I last saw him in Cerulean. He is a troublemaker, shouldn't be hard to find."

"Maya said the League had documented proof that Misty was crazy. Is it true?"

Gary frowned. "Misty is not crazy. She is fine; the League is just trying to blame her for this."

"I guess so; killing Pokémon is a big deal."

"The League is liable for its members' actions. They need to prove Misty was crazy, and that I was a criminal. That is the only way they can get out of it."

"I see."

All four of them remained quiet for a minute as they absorbed the new pieces of information. The more they thought about it, the more Gary made sense.

"So, what is your plan, Gary?"

"Well, we need to find Jake's ass and force him to talk. We also need to talk to Misty and get that report. I doubt this will be easy, and I can't do it alone."

Ash nodded. "I'll help you."

"And so will us."

Gary shook his head. "No. You two should stay out of this. You are in danger already for having me here. Ash can still pretend to not know anything and stay close to the League. He can still find the evidence we need."

"But you two are too young to do this on your own."

"And you guys are too old to be getting in trouble for us. We'll find a way to solve this."

Professor Oak sighed. Dehlia opened her mouth to complain but did not when she saw Samuel's face. He knew Gary was right. The least people the League thought were involved in this, the more chances they got of having more sources of information in the free.

"Is there anything else? Why did the League try to incriminate you too?"

Gary remained quiet. He wanted to tell them that it was because he had lied about one of his badges all this time, and he had been stupid enough to get blackmailed. He wanted to tell them he had fallen in love with Misty and that the League would make sure anyone who backed her up would suffer the same fate as him. He wanted to tell them –Ash, how he felt about his former girl.

He wanted to say it but he could not.

"I guess they're just trying to keep their story straight. I can point out the flaws in it, making them responsible for this, but they won't take it."

"Yeah, do you know who else was in the Gym?"

"I'm not sure, but I can tell you who I saw run away from the fire when I took her out."

"Who?"

Gary turned around and faced Ash.

"Butch."

Ash's face blanked.

"Who is Butch?" Dehlia asked.

"Butch is a member of Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket?"

"Yes, I think Team Rocket staged the fire."

The three listeners stared at each other and then at Gary. They knew Team Rocket were evil when it came to Pokémon, but they never thought they would commit murder. Ash frowned and then covered his face while Gary stared at his confused friend. This situation was worse than they had thought of. The League had everything on their side to win.

Dehlia stared at her son and then back at Samuel, hoping any of them had anything good to say. But the truth was that there was no good news to say. Silence dawned upon them as they all focused on their own private thoughts. The blizzard outside had passed, but the bitter cold inside the house was worse than the left over ice on the lonely streets of Pallet Town.


	3. Connections

**Summary of Previous Chapter: **Gary and Ash find out that there is a serious relationship between Dehlia and Professor Oak when they arrive at Ash's house for shelter in the middle of the night. Gary tells Professor Oak that the Gym in Cerulean burned down and that Misty is in a hospital in Cerulean. Professor Oak asks Gary why he did not finish his job in Cerulean. Gary tells Professor Oak the story about Jake Dragon, Josh Weston and Emily Dragon, and how this last person seems to have a grudge against Misty. Gary does not tell any of the three that he loves Misty. Ash, Dehlia and Oak learned that Gary and Misty are very close to being charged with several accusations including arson, second-degree murder, fraud, etc…Gary tells Ash that when he rescued Misty from the fire, he saw Butch from Team Rocket running away from the building.

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 3: Connections**

"Anything good?"

"Nope, a regular man to me."

"Keep looking."

Ash Ketchum had his third cup of hot milk as he looked over what he felt was the 200th people-search website in the past five hours. Gary Oak was reading what Ash had printed a few minutes ago as he jotted down some notes in a desperate attempt to make sense of what was going on. The background noise belonged to the television in Dehlia's kitchen as it played the news of the events that occurred last night in Cerulean. Ash had stationed his mother's laptop on the kitchen table. Gary had stationed himself on the other side of the same table with dozens of papers with notes he was taking down of criminal laws, old news reports of the League's past and most recent movements, and the public profiles of Josh Weston and Jake Dragon.

They had been looking for hours and Emily Dragon's profile was not found anywhere in the net. Gary was starting to believe –and fear, that Emily Dragon did not even exist.

Dehlia Ketchum sat on the living room as she took down notes of the emergency meeting that was taking place in Indigo Plateau. Professor Oak had been called down to the home of the Elite Four to attend this meeting, and Gary had suggested that he took a hidden microphone with him. He had returned home and a helicopter was sent from Indigo Plateau to take him there as soon as possible. Dehlia had volunteered to write down everything that was said and agreed to in the meeting while Gary and Ash looked for clues and information about the people who were involved in what Gary strongly believed was a fraud against him and Misty. Ash Ketchum had also been called in to the meeting, but he had said that his mom was very ill and had called him during the middle of the night, providing him a valid reason for why he was gone. He would later be filled-in with the details by Dawn.

So far, Josh Weston seemed to be the average guy with only a small history of anger management issues. He had been admitted to a rehabilitation hospital a couple of times in account of his uncontrollable rage, but he had never assaulted anyone the way he had tried to assault Misty that night at the Cerulean carnival. The more they had researched about him, the more they realized that he was just a regular citizen who lost it because of his apparent humiliation with Misty, and was pushed to the limit by his lack of control over his anger. Even though he had hurt Misty and had made her spend the worst moments of her life, Gary felt guilty that Josh had died. In Gary's mind, all he needed was medical help and someone to care for him. He did not deserve to be shot on the forehead.

When it came to Jake Dragon, his history was quite interesting. He had always been a known troublemaker since his early years. He had been expelled from three schools while growing up for plotting against a teacher, attempting to rob the school, and making unwelcomed and inappropriate advances to a female student. Every single time he had ended up in deep trouble, he had been bailed out by his older sister. Apparently, Jake's parents had died when Jake was in third grade and his sister had to take over his custody. The name of his sister had never been mentioned in any of these reports, but Gary believed that it was Emily Dragon. The only connection he had found between him and Misty was that Jake was a native of Cerulean just like her, and that his parents had died exactly two years before Misty's parents had died.

Regardless of what Jake had done, he felt his pain. Gary had lost his parents when he was young too. Thankfully for him, the burden of raising a little boy was not all given to his older sister, May, but to his grandfather as well. He was glad he did not end up an angered psychopath or a minor-aged delinquent like Josh or Jake. _"But neither of them has been formally charged with anything. I have, and for something I didn't do."_

Gary's thoughts were dissipated as he heard Maya's name on T.V. "Ash, another news report!"

Both trainers looked at the television, trying not to disturb Dehlia's work in the living room. Maya was being interviewed in the middle of the meeting while they had a break.

_"Ms. Amherst, what is this extraordinary meeting for?"_

_"Well, we were left no option but to call a non-scheduled meeting to discuss the current situation. I have been given final word on the decision of the League's legal advisors and we are analyzing the current state of affairs. We've come to several arrangements by unanimity."_

_"Anything you can share with us, you know, unofficially."_

_"Actually, these arrangements are pretty much legal. Our advisors are working on the final steps to make it legal as we break from the meeting. We will regroup only to read and inform the present about the final decisions before I make the official announcements to the League and then to the media."_

_"Can we ask a couple of questions before the press conference?"_

_"I rather not make any other comments until…"_

Maya looked to her right and remained quiet for a few seconds. She then nodded and turned back to the news reporter and gave him a weak smile. _"Our decisions are final. You may stream them live if you wish."_

The reporter was excited to have this exclusive news and he and his cameraman quickly ran to the back of the room so that Maya was seen in the back of the scene as she walked to the front of the room. Everyone returned to their seats, and Gary and Ash were able to see the sadness on Professor Oak's face. Gary took a deep breath.

_"The Pokémon League of the region of Kanto has delegated for quite some time about the several issues that are taking place in our association. The members present: Lance, Agatha, Lorelei, Bruno, Koga, Professor Oak, Dawn and myself, have agreed that the current issues surrounding our associations are a cause for impending loss of credibility of our mission and vision, as well as reason to take extreme measures for a good cause._

_We have come to the realization that if these extreme measures are not taken seriously as soon as they take effect, the purity of the mission and vision of our organization will cease to exist. This will in turn destroy the spirit and hard work of thousands of members around the region, and will place a dark mark on the quality of Kanto's trainers all around the world. We hereby present the following actions to be placed in effect at the end of this meeting:_

_Gary Oak and Misty Waterflower will be formally charged with the accusations imposed by the law. These two former members will be exposed to the full penalty of the law and shall receive no aid from the League as they have given up their positions and status when they chose to break the law._

_The Pokémon that belonged to these two former members will now become possession of the Pokémon League itself as they are registered under our name. These two former members have shown a lack of qualification to take care of other living beings, and will in turn resign their Pokémon to Ash Ketchum and Dawn Hall._

_The Pokémon Gym in Cerulean will no longer exist, and shall not be reconstructed. The Waterflower family has failed to keep their end of the bargain in the probationary period of their term, and their permission to keep and maintain an official Pokémon Gym will be revoked._

_The Waterflower sisters, including the temporary Gym Leader who is in medical care at the moment, will be charged for fraud and break of a legal contract. The three older sisters, Daisy, Lily and Violet will be kept in house arrest in our facilities in Indigo Plateau. They will be judged and charged some time this coming week._

_Anyone who tries to aid these two former members of the Pokémon League will be subject to charges of aiding outlaws escape, aiding in avoiding the law, and will be trialed as accomplices._

_The Pokémon Gyms will not hold any battles until these issues are completely resolved and the two former members are in the custody of the law and are charged with the crimes they have committed._

_At the end of this ordeal, a new Gym will be constructed in Lavender Town to replace the Gym in Cerulean City._

_As of today, at 1:13 p.m. these resolutions are held in place._

Ash's jaw clenched in anger; he could not believe the League would not given either of them the benefit of the doubt. While it was true that they would have a trial, he knew that there would be nothing fair about it. The League was placing everyone against them by closing the Gym's and stopping Pokémon battling indefinitely. He never thought he would ever hate his job this much.

Needless to say, Gary had already felt this unfairness fall on him. Gary took another sip of his coffee. If someone was going to take care of all of his Pokémon, might as well be Ash who did this. However, losing his Pokémon was something he did not expect and deep inside hurt him very, very much.

The two trainers saw as the media was asked to leave the premises and the doors were locked behind them. Gary and Ash looked at each other before they both sighed.

"This cannot get any worse, can it?"

"_In related news, the three bodies that were found in the Cerulean Gym have been identified as Jessie, James and Cassidy. Last names were not available, but it is being rumored that all three of these young people belonged to the well-known Team Rocket gang."_

"Guess it can," Gary said.

Ash's head fell as he heard the names of the people he had battled so many times in ten years. He knew Team Rocket was the biggest Pokémon robbery gang in Kanto, perhaps the world, but he knew Jessie and James on a different level as well. Even though they had tried to take Pikachu from him several times, they had also helped him save the world in a few occasions. Neither of them deserved to be burned down alive. Somehow, he knew that Jessie and James would not be the type of mobsters to try and kill a person; he did not know the same about Cassidy, though. It seemed Gary was right; Butch had made it out of the fire alive.

"I don't know how, but we need to find Butch too," Ash said. Gary agreed with him but knew that finding a sole member of Team Rocket was going to be more difficult than finding the mysterious Emily Dragon herself.

Ash rubbed his face with his hands in obvious exasperation. _"When did everything get so screwed up?"_

Perhaps the moment he decided to break up with Misty. If he had not broken up with her, she had not stayed in Cerulean. She would have not gotten so close to get killed so many times, the Gym would have not burned down, and she would not be alone in a cold hospital bed with machines hooked up to her body. Gary would have not had any need to go to Cerulean, Pikachu had not died, and Misty's sisters would not be in house arrest. He knew he had no say on what other people chose to do, but he felt his decision had opened a can of _caterpies_ that made all of these situations unfold.

Somehow he felt it was his entire fault.

"_And maybe it is…"_

On the other hand, Gary believed all this to be _his_ fault. If he had not let himself get blackmailed he would have not stayed with the League, he would have not ended up in Misty's gym and would have not placed her or his own sister in so much danger. He knew that he liked Misty way before they shared a roof, but perhaps he had not fallen so hard for her if they had not lived in the same place for six entire months.

And above all, he and Ash's friendship would have never been tainted this way.

He knew they were working together at the moment for Misty's sake, but he also knew that if Ash knew how much he loved Misty, he would never forgive him. The unwritten rule of a guy falling in love with his best friend's ex-girlfriend was floating in the thick air of Ash's mom's kitchen. Yet, Gary also knew that if he wanted to fix the current situation, he would have to open up and be honest to his friend once and for all. They had a common goal at the moment, and as infuriating as the situation was going to become for Ash, Gary knew that he was running out of time and that Ash needed to have all the facts straightened out before Gary was taken away.

Gary sighed before looking at all the information he had in front of him, attempting to make some sort of logical connections among the incidents. Ash continued to look for information about Jake, but the more he searched, the more he thought this issue would have no end.

"Ash, I need to talk to you."

"Yeah?"

"No, really talk to you. There are some things that you should know."

Dehlia heard the tone of voice Gary had used in his last sentence, and she realized that whatever Gary had to tell Ash was not going to be good. She stood up and went to her room to give the two young men some room. If they had to beat the crap out of each other in order to get over their hidden anger, so be it.

Neither man noticed Dehlia was gone.

Ash closed the laptop in front of him and gave Gary his undivided attention. Gary took a deep breath before he spoke, wondering how much of the truth he should let Ash know about. "Ok, so I think Josh Weston shouldn't even be counted as a suspect. What do you think?"

"Yeah, kid was just messed up," Ash said.

"Ok. However, Jake Dragon doesn't get my sympathy. He tried to kill Misty."

"I read the story in an article. One thing I don't understand is how did he get an underwater breather for his Pokémon?"

"I don't either. Those breathers are specially made for the League. Now that I think about it, he must've known someone in the League to get one."

"What kind of League member would give that idiot an underwater breather to _cheat_? Maybe he stole it from the Gym."

"Impossible. The Gym had a highly sensitive security system. If he had tried to get in, we'd know about it. Besides, we kept the breathers inside the main office; the door needed Misty's fingerprint to get open. Maybe Emily _is_ real and she works for the League."

"I don't think so. Either you or me would have known about it by now."

"Her name sounds so familiar, though," Gary said.

"I'm sure Misty knows her."

"Yup, which is why we'll have to visit her tonight and see if she's awake."

"What? How the fuck are _you_ gonna get inside the hospital? The cops are looking for ya!" Ash said.

"_I_ can't…but _you_ can. You'll have to do that for us. I'll wait in the car."

"That's not gonna work! I'm supposed to be here because my mom's supposed to be sick. They are gonna wonder what I'm doing in Cerulean."

"Misty was your girl, don't you think people will understand if you wanted to see how she is?"

Ash looked down in shame. Misty was his girl –_was_. Yet, it did not mean that he did not care about her any less than he did when they were still together. Ash wanted to see her again and make sure she was alright and Gary knew it. He wanted to see her and touch her; talk to her and apologize. Apologize like he should have when he saw her again during the Pokémon League's convention months ago.

"So, are you gonna?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "We need to leave right now or we won't make it to Cerulean by night."

"I know."

Gary stood up to grab his coat as Ash went to his room to grab his own. He looked at the T.V. one last time before shutting it off. He was tired of hearing how he and Misty where the bad guys, and how the League was an innocent victim of both. _"Corporate bullshit,"_ he thought.

He turned around and walked to the living room to wait for Ash. He sat down and tried to relax for a few minutes but his mind kept bugging him that he knew who Emily Dragon was. Her name was too familiar for him but for the life of him he could not remember where he had heard her name before. He closed his eyes for an instant in an attempt to concentrate and find an answer to this question, but his cell phone had other plans for him. Gary pulled out his mobile device as it beeped three times to inform him that he had received a text message labeled as urgent.

Gary opened his cell phone to see a very familiar name on the sender's name. He smiled when he saw it, but his smile did not last long when he read the contents of the text.

"_I know who Jake Dragon is."_

Gary froze. How did Becca Gall know that he was looking for him? Was it a trap from the League? Had Becca turned her back on him and was now trying to turn him in?

"_She'd never do that!"_

Gary did the only thing he could do: he texted back. In a matter of seconds a new text came in. Gary read it out loud.

"He dated Dawn Hall. He's a jerk. I know he tried to injure Misty."

"Who dated Dawn?"

Gary's head turned around to watch Ash looking at him, his mom slightly behind him in the hall. Gary looked at Ash and Ash repeated his question to him. Gary was confused for a split second before he realized what was happening. His eyes widened. "It can't be…"

Ash walked to Gary and demanded an explanation. Gary's face was in shock and his fingers would not stop texting. Ash raised his voice again but Gary signaled him to stop with one hand as he held his cell phone with the other one. All three current occupants froze at they stared at each other.

The silence was broken by the three beeps of Gary's cell phone.

"_Dawn used 2 be my bff. He is in Celadon. He tried to hurt me."_

Gary growled. "Jake is in Celadon City."

Ash was more frustrated than relieved. "How the hell do you know this?"

"Remember Becca Gall? She's the supervisor for Erica's Gym. She's an old friend of mine. Jake tried to hurt her. She said she knows who Jake is. She said he used to date…Dawn."

"What? Dawn knows Jake?"

Gary nodded and sent another text to Becca, asking her if she was alright. Becca replied that she was, but that Jake had been released from jail because someone had paid his bond. He had tried to beat up Becca but the police had shown up.

"He's doing it again! What the hell does he want?" Ash said raising his voice in frustration as Gary told him what Jake had done. "We need to go see Misty and then go to Celadon. We need to find him."

"_No_, we need to go to Celadon first. Celadon is closer than Cerulean from here," Gary said.

Ash nodded realizing he had had to wait much longer to be able to see Misty again. The police was probably looking for Gary anyway, so the less time they wasted, the better it was for them. Gary asked Becca if she knew where Jake lived, and she gave them his address. Apparently Jake had moved from Cerulean after his parents' deaths and had established himself in Celadon.

"_Get him for me. I made it, but Bryan is in the hospital. Jake almost killed him when he tried to defend me."_

Gary sighed. Bryan was Becca's husband, and he could only imagine the pain Becca was going through right now. He did not know why Jake had attacked them but he was not going to wait until he tried again. They had no option than to go to Celadon and surprise him at his own home. Once they obtained the information they wanted from him, they would visit Misty and hope she was awake. All they needed was a motive from Jake to kill Misty, and they could begin fighting against the accusations the League was placing on them.

"_I will. Thanks,"_ Gary texted her back.

"Come on, Ash. We've got to get going."

Gary waked outside and allowed Ash and his mom to have a moment alone for the both of them. He closed the door behind him as Ash turned around and looked at his mom with the saddest face.

"He'll be alright, Mom. The League won't hurt him."

Dehlia Ketchum could not hold the tears any longer. She had tried to be strong to not cry in front of Gary, but seeing as he was gone now, she could not help it anymore. "I know they won't, but it just happened so fast. Don't let Gary find out."

"I'll try. You've got to stay here. Don't go anywhere. We don't know who this Jake is aiming at, ok?"

"I will. Please be careful, son."

Ash nodded and headed for the door. He made sure his coat was in place as he heard Gary honking at him from outside. Ash sighed.

"Ash," his mom cried.

"Yeah?"

"Whatever happens, don't tell Gary that Samuel was arrested. It'd crush him."

"I know."

Ash opened the door and locked it after him. He ran to Gary's car and got in.

"Ready, Ash?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go."

Gary Oak shifted gears to reverse and began their road to Celadon. The snow had stopped but dark clouds were still around. Ash saw his home seem smaller and smaller in the side rear-view mirror as they drove away from it. He hoped his mom would be alright. He looked at Gary and then at where the keys should have been only to see that the car was hotwired.

"Did you really steal this car?"

"Shhh…As long as they don't find the body in the trunk we should be fine."  
Ash looked at Gary and his eyes widened. Again, he wanted to believe that Gary was lying, but after seeing everything he had seen, and hearing everything he had heard, he was having a difficult time knowing what was real and what was far from an actual truth.

"You scare me sometimes, you know that?"

"I scare myself sometimes."

Ash rolled his eyes. Gary chuckled at his reaction, remembering how they used to tease each other when they were very young, though his smile dissipated in an instant as he realized he had to tell Ash what had happened in the Gym before he left.

"Ash, I've got to tell you something."

"What?"

"Well, you know how Josh tried to attack Misty."

"Yeah."

"And what happened to the Gym when Jake used that Pikachu in battle."

"Yeah."

"But you don't know…nobody knows, what happened inside the Gym when it burned down."

"Does Misty know?"

"I am hoping she knows what happened before I went back; but I can tell ya what happened what happened when I got there. I've got to give you something, but you need to know what happened first."

Ash nodded. Listening to a story where Misty got hurt was not his cup of tea, but he had to know everything before placing blame on anyone –if any, and before returning to the League to interrogate Dawn about Jake.

Gary closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and concentrating on the road. The road to Route 17 was a long one, and even thought they were not going through Viridian Forest again, there were plenty of trees to keep them company all the way to Celadon City.

Without further a due, Gary began to tell his story from the start.

_Gary saw the huge flames coming out of the Pokémon Gym. The sounds of the sirens drew him crazy. He hated the sound of danger, especially when he knew it was Misty who was in peril. He turned to face Jake who had an awfully big smile on his face. He knew Gary was in pain, and he was enjoying the suffering he felt. _

_"Oh, well. I guess you didn't get to fuck her either."_

_Gary's eyes widened at the realization of how low Jake Dragon really was. He felt so naïve at the thought of ever feeling sorry for him, and for his Pokémon loss. Jake was an asshole; as real as they get._

_"You should've stayed a little longer like she asked you to. You'd be burning in hell together now."_

_Gary pressed Jake against the glass wall and punched him on the stomach. How Jake knew what they had talked about before he left was beyond him. He could not ask either. He had something more important that needed to be taken care of. He would just have to come back and hunt him when he was done._

_"Someday I'll find your sorry ass and we'll finish this. While that happens, I wanna give you a little something to remember me by."_

_"What would th— UGHH!"_

_Jake bent down and got on his knees. The ground in front of him became tainted with red stains coming from him nose, and the trail of blood could be followed on his clothes. Gary had punched him on the face, really hard. Gary stood up in front him, watching as he curled up on the floor and glared at Gary who was walking backwards making his way to the Gym. He held his testicles with his right hand as he pointed down to them with his left hand and spoke. "These are next, fucker."_

_He gave Jake that prideful smile he was known for before turning around and running as fast as he could towards the Gym, leaving his bags behind. He did not have anything important in them, anyway. He knew Jake would probably take them with him when he recovered from the punches, but he did not care. All he needed was his Pokémon belt, and he never took it off. _

_Gary ran to the parking lot of the Gym and saw the yellow caution tape being placed around the building. Firefighters had begun connecting hoses and the police kept bystanders as far away from danger as possible. The flames that came out from the top of the Gym were as high as ten feet, and the windows and doors were covered by the metal strips. Misty had not disarmed the security after he had left and she was now trapped inside. If Misty died inside it would be his fault. _

_Gary ran to the closest police officer and was told to leave the premises. He showed his Pokémon League Badge and asked what the status of the incident was. The officer nodded before he responded._

_"We are not sure what caused the fire, but there seemed to be four people inside, as well as an unknown number of Pokémon trapped. We received a call from the neighbors and not from the inside."_

_"There are 25 Pokémon in the Gym," Gary began, "and Misty Waterflower was still there when I left about an hour ago."_

_"Where did you go?"_

_"My duty was done. I was heading to Indigo Plateau when I saw the fire truck and police heading to the Gym. Why do you say there were four people inside? Misty was the only one there when I left."_

_"We rescued three of them."_

_"Misty's sisters?"_

_"We don't know for certain. There were two women but they died after we took them out, their bodies too burned to identify them by sight. We have an unidentified male heading to the hospital as we speak. He told us there were four people inside."_

_Gary's heart raced. He looked around him and saw the firefighters aiming water to the top of the Gym while others jumped out the windows followed by flames. Others tried to find another way to go inside the Gym and had begun axing their way in. He looked back as he heard the sound of another fire truck arriving, but his eyes were caught by the scene of the two covered bodies of the women the officer had described on the ground. Misty's sisters were scheduled to arrive today and if they had, they were probably dead by now. On the other hand, it could have been that Misty was one of the burned women and was lying on the ground, dead. Gary wanted to throw up._

_"Is there a possibility one of those women is Misty?"_

_The officer shook his head. "We couldn't tell who they were by their faces, but neither of them had a sign of having red hair. If Miss Waterflower is still alive, she must be inside the Gym. We've check every room we could and the only place we've not been able to check is one upstairs. A code is required to enter and the door is made out of thick metal. Our firefighters haven't been able to last long enough to take it down."_

_"That's the office. We kept important paperwork inside it so we installed an electronic lock. Misty could be in there."_

_"Do you know the code? It could help us save her."_

_"The code alone won't help you."_

_"Why not?"_

_"We need Misty's fingerprint to get in."_

_"How did you ever get in?"_

_"She let me in."_

_The officer sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. Gary looked at the raging fire and then at the officer. "I'm going in."_

_"Are you crazy? I can't let you in, kid."_

_"You have no option. She'll die if we don't do something."_

_"And you'll die along with her if I let you in."_

"Might as well…"_ Gary thought._

_Gary reached over his Pokémon belt. If Misty was inside the Gym still, the office was the only room she could be in. This was the most secure room in the entire building and knowing her, if she was not able to leave on time, she was hiding there. The room was safe with the door, but fire could get in from the ceiling or floors. The amount of paper in the room was ridiculous, and if nothing was done she would die a quick but painful death. _

_Another officer joined them as Gary plotted a way to running inside. He did not doubt the expertise of the firefighters, but with two dead women and a hurt man on his way to the hospital, he could not help to feel he could not rely on them to save Misty's life. "Sir, you have to let me in there. I can use my Pokémon to get her out."_

_"I already said no! You want to endanger yourself and your Pokémon? What kind of trainer are you?"_

_"You want to let the only opportunity to save her life pass by. What kind of officer are you?"_

_Both men stared at each other, and the second officer stared at both of them. He then cleared his throat to catch their attention and after he did, he pulled out a Pokémon belt with six pokeballs on it. "We found this in one of the halls."_

_Gary snatched the belt from the officer who was ready to snap back at Gary but his colleague stopped him. He shook his head, understanding that Gary's attitude came from his need to save his friend and signaled his partner to let it go. Gary extended the belt in his hands and looked for something only he knew. He sighed as he pointed to the middle of the belt for the two officers to see._

_Misty's name was on the belt._

_"She's still inside. She would never leave her belt behind. Something must have happened to her."_

_"She must be in that room, then."_

_Gary's hand stroked the pokeballs lightly several times until he grabbed one, turned around, and tossed it to call out the Pokémon in it._

_After the red light that surrounded all incoming Pokémon ended, an injured Psyduck appeared. Gary ran to the Pokémon and helped him sit on the ground. Psyduck's body was bruised and scratched, and his big eyes were red from crying. Gary feared the worst._

_"Psyduck, what happened to you?"_

_Psyduck sniffed and held his head._

_"Were you helping Misty?"_

_Psyduck slightly nodded._

_Gary patted the poor Pokémon as he prepared himself to ask a question he was afraid of asking._

_"Where is Misty?"_

_The Pokémon sniffed again and faced the Gym before he extended his tiny arm and pointed to the top part of the building. _

_The three men followed the ending path of his little hand and realized where Misty was._

_"She is still in the office. I'm going in whether you let me or not."_

_Gary recalled Psyduck and replaced the pokeball on the Pokémon belt before placing it around his waist. He took one step towards the Gym, waiting for either of the officers to stop him, but when he saw they didn't move an inch, he sped up and disappeared inside the Gym._

Gary sighed before reaching over the glove compartment of the car. He opened it and pulled out a Pokémon belt; Misty's Pokémon belt. "I think you should have this. You're getting them anyway, but please don't give them to Dawn. Don't let the League known you have them either. They'll suspect something."

Ash nodded as he grabbed it and hid it inside his coat. Gary cleared his throat before continuing his story.

_As soon as Gary entered the Gym, his lungs began hurting and his eyes itched like nothing else ever had. The smoke was thick and the fire was raging. The once state-of-the-art Gym they had both worked for so hard for the past six months was becoming nothing more than a cruel memory. The walls had lost their navy blue color and were now dark or ash gray. The furniture was gone, and the stairs had been consumed by the fire. Parts of the roof were collapsing in front of him. Despite the firefighters' best effort, the Gym would not last much longer under the lack of mercy of the fire._

_Gary chose his Blastoise and ordered him to use water gun. He knew the structure of the building would collapse anyway, but he needed more time to find a way to get to Misty. He then called out Misty's Starmie and ordered both Pokémon to continue their water attacks around the area that was closest to the office he had to reach. Gary knew that trying to open the metal door was going to be a waste of time and that attempting to break the roof on the lower room was easier than any other possible task. He ran to the storage room underneath and kicked the door open. The fire was less intense in this room, but his lungs still complained in the form of chest pains and loud coughing. _

_He called out his Alakazam and asked him to use his psychic powers to find Misty's presence on top of them. Alakazam took a brief moment before finally finding her on the corner opposite to the door. Once his job was done and Gary knew the exact location of Misty's body, he called back Alakazam. He reached for Misty's belt and called out Dragonite. He stepped out and roared at the discomfort that was the smoking room._

_"I'm sorry, Dragonite, but I need your help. I need you to make a hole on the roof over there," Gary said as he pointed to the opposite corner where Alakazam had sensed Misty was at._

_Dragonite roared in understanding and began charging a small amount of energy to use hyperbeam. Gary's head began spinning a little as oxygen was becoming scarce. He could still hear Blastoise and Starmie working outside but the fire was slowly winning. Dragonite was almost done charging to attack as he became worried about Gary's condition. He kept trying to take deep breaths filtered by his shirt, but the smoke was too thick to avoid._

_Dragonite watched as Gary got down to his knees and coughed non-stop. The smoke in the room was going nowhere fast; Gary's lungs could not take much more before he intoxicated himself to death. Dragonite finally released his attack and without even waiting to make sure he had succeeded, he flew towards Gary and grabbed one of Misty's pokeballs._

_Dragonite threw the pokeball and after a few seconds, the red flash of light left behind a shiny, huge Gyrados. Gyrados analyzed the situation for a split second before bathing Gary and the room with his own water gun attack. In a matter of seconds Gary was brought back to reality and the room had been emptied of the smoke. _

_Gary looked up and saw the newly arrived Pokémon. Even though he had just been called out, Gyrados showed signs of having encountered a battle. Gary knew he did not have a Gyrados and the closest Misty had to it been that shiny Magikarp she had found in her room. _"When did it evolve?"

_Gary shook his head and remembered what he had gone inside the Gym for. He looked at the corner and realized that Dragonite had succeeded. There was a hole on the roof big enough for him to get there. Gary stared at Dragonite before asking him to give him a lift. Dragonite nodded and threw Gary through the hole. Gyrados stayed behind to help Starmie and Blastoise while Dragonite followed Gary._

_As soon as Gary allowed his senses to become aware of his new environment, he realized that though there was no fire in the room, the temperature was easily above the 130 degrees. The heat from the fire around the room was building up and concentrating in the room. The temperature continued to increase, giving Gary a headache and a slight feeling of dizziness. _

_Gary concentrated on analyzing the status of the room. The sprinklers had gone off, but since there was no fire in the room, the humidity only worsened the heat inside of it. The amounts of paperwork in the room were ruined, and some of the office supplies were slowly melting and becoming part of _other_ supplies._

_The office was thrashed. The furniture was either flipped over or broken, and the floor was covered in paper, trash and…red stains._

_"Blood."_

_Gary became uneasy. "Misty, are you here?"_

_No response._

_Gary began screaming Misty's name as he moved around the furniture around him in order to be able to get to the corner Alakazam had felt a human presence. He knew that if she was not here, it meant that she was dead somewhere in the Gym. He had to find her. He just had to. The blood on the walls was fresh and dripping to the floor._

_"Misty, talk to me! We need to get out!"_

_Gary heard Dragonite trying to help out, but the heat was also getting the best out of the Pokémon. Gary thought he could ask Dragonite to use one of his ice attacks but he feared it would hurt Misty if she was indeed somewhere around. _

_Gary's search took him to the corner of the room where Alakazam had felt Misty's presence. He got on his knees as he moved papers and pieces of furniture. He finally saw a hand come up from the side of the pile of trash._

"_Misty!"_

_Gary grabbed the hand and pulled it up only to find it did not belong to Misty or a woman. Gary had found Butch._

"_What the hell?"_

_Gary's memory was triggered. The officer had said that a man taken to the hospital had said there four people inside the building. There were two women dead, one guy in the hospital and now an unconscious Butch. Gary's heart began racing. There were two possibilities. One: Misty had escaped the building before the fire and had accidentally lost her Pokémon belt; or two: Misty was one of the women dead outside._

_Gary sighed. He did not know what Team Rocket had to do with the fire, Jake, or perhaps Emily Dragon's attempt to get rid of Misty, but he could not leave Butch behind. Gary prepared himself to lift up Butch when he heard Dragonite roar._

_Gary looked up and saw Dragonite carrying Misty in its arms. _

_He ran to the Pokémon and thanked him as he grabbed Misty and laid her on the floor. He checked her pulse and was glad to find one even though it was slow. She seemed bruised and burnt here and there but other than that she looked fine. He could not help to smile as he touched her face. "You definitely need life insurance, Red."_

_Misty smiled._

_Gary frowned as he did not know if his mind was playing tricks on him while he held Misty closer to him. "Do you know I'm here?"_

_Misty slightly nodded._

"_Are your sisters here?"_

_Misty shook her head._

"_Then I'm gonna get you out, ok? Can you hold on a little bit more for me?"_

_Misty nodded before opening her one good eye and using the last of her strength to pull herself up and press her lips against Gary's._

_Gary took half a second to react and kissed her back before she finally passed out in his arms. Gary placed Misty safely in his arms. He then walked towards the door and used Misty's fingerprint to open it. The door opened without further adieu. He took one step forward to leave the room, hoping Gyrados could take care of Misty while he returned for Butch. All of a sudden, he felt his legs failing on him._

"_What just…"_

_Gary followed the pain of his legs to his back to his head. Something had hit his head hard enough for the pain to take over his entire body and bringing him down to his knees. He felt a hot liquid pouring from his head down to his back. It was blood; his blood._

_His sight was slightly impaired by the hit as he saw Dragonite fly behind him heading towards the opposite corner of the room._

"_Did…Dragonite…attack…me?"_

_Gary could not understand why. He knew Pokémon tend to be jealous of their trainers but his and her Pokémon had trained very close to either trainer. There was no reason why Dragonite would believe he was placing Misty in further danger._

_Gary laid down Misty as he turned around, ready to defend himself from Dragonite when he saw the Pokémon flying back to wall and hitting it, falling to the floor unconscious. "What the fuck?"_

_Gary looked to the other side of the room and saw a standing Butch with an Electabuzz of his own. Gary recalled Dragonite before he spoke._

"_You've got to be kidding me. There are greater things right now than stealing Pokémon."_

_Butch chuckled. "I didn't come here to steal Pokémon, Oak. I'm here to kill her."_

_Gary's eyes opened wide to the amusement of the Rocket in front of him. Butch's voice was angry and aggressive. He did not seem like the silly regular member of Team Rocket who had tried to steal Gary's Pokémon in more than one occasion. "What?"_

"_I was given an order to get rid of the redhead. I lost my partner because of her. Now you'll lose yours."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Cassidy…is dead…she killed her!"_

"_Who did?"_

"_The stupid bitch you were carrying!"_

"_Misty would never…"_

"_She did. And now is payback time."_

"_Butch, we need to get out of…" Gary tried to reason with the Rocket member but it was useless. Butch had already ordered his Electabuzz to attack Gary and stomp over him and Misty. The Pokémon tried to push Gary out of his way to attack Misty, but Gary fell to the floor and placed his body between Electabuzz and the Waterflower sister. Gary felt the pressure of Electabuzz' feet on his back as he tried miserably to protect Misty's body by using his own to shield her._

_Butch walked towards Gary and began kicking him to force him to move from top of Misty. Gary tried to call a Pokémon but every time he tried to reach over the pokebelt he was hit even harder by Butch. Gary began coughing up blood as Butch hit his face with his foot._

"_Why don't you just give up, kid? The League wants you dead too. Just make it easier on me, will ya?"_

"_Who…sent…you?"_

_Butch snickered and kicked him again. Gary could not help to whimper. "Who…sent…you?!"_

"_Does it matter? It's just one more person that wants you dead. You sure know how to piss off people, Oak."_

"_Answer me!"_

_Butch growled in desperation with Gary's stubbornness. He grabbed Gary by his back and pushed him out of the room, leaving Misty helpless with Electabuzz as he did as he wanted with her. Gary tried to run back to the room but Butch began punching him on the face and stomach. Gary did not think he could take more pain. The Pokémon underneath them were now tired and their efforts had begun decreasing as it showed on the fire increasing in strength again._

"_Gary Oak; the prodigious kid; Mr. Have-it-all, where is your glory now?"_

_Gary stood up and held his weight against the wall that led to where the stairs should have been but had been consumed by the fire. Gary took deep breaths to ease the pain, but with bigger breaths only meant more smoke in his lungs. _

"_What did we ever do to you?"_

"_I'm just doing a job, it's not my vengeance."_

"_Then why…are you doing it?"_

"_Personally, I don't like you."_

"_Then leave Misty alone."_

"_Oh, she's part of the bargain. It's either both or none. Besides, I had fun…with her…right before you came…"_

_Gary's eyes opened wide. He felt the pain of the smoke in his lungs being replaced by the pain of deep anger. His fists trembled and his knuckles cracked. He reached over the Pokémon belts and recalled all the Pokémon that were trying to stop the fire. Half of the Gym had burned down anyway._

"_Giving up, Oak?"_

_Gary did not speak._

_Butch began walking to him, describing how it had been with her. Gary's anger only rose. "She's pretty good. The exercise helps her a lot for this. But of course, you know that already, don't you?"_

_Gary began walking towards Butch. He had never wanted to hurt anyone as much as he wanted to hurt Butch at the moment, not even that Jake kid._

_Butch stopped in front of Gary. Gary eyed him until he saw Electabuzz come out from the room. Electabuzz growled and Butch called him back. "Seems the job is done. Now it's just you and me."_

"_You wish."_

_Butch smiled as he tried to hit Gary on his face again, but he dodged it. Gary grabbed Butch's fist and did something he never thought he would do. Gary extended Butch's arm with one hand, and then used his closed fist of his other hand to bend Butch's elbow the wrong way in a swift movement that broke Butch's arm. Butch cried in pain seeing his arm bend the wrong way and hang limp in two parts. Butch got down on his knees and held his broke arm to try and easy the pain. Now that the Pokémon were gone, the last part of the Gym was crumbling down. Gary walked next to Butch and headed to the room to check up on Misty; she was still alive, though extremely bruised by Electabuzz' merciless attacks._

_Gary picked her up in his arms as he turned around and saw Butch standing up but still crying. "The building will collapse any minute now. We have to get out. You can either stay there or follow me out of here."_

"_What the fuck are you talking about? How are you gonna get down anyway? The stairs are gone! Besides, I am dead either way if I don't complete the job."_

"_Gyrados!"_

_Gyrados came out from Misty's pokebelt. It roared and made Butch take a few steps back. The pain in his arm was extreme, and he could not think of anything else to do. He watched as Gary carried Misty and held her tight before ordering Gyrados to get them out of there. "I need you to take us down and make a hole on the wall so we can escape."_

_Gyrados nodded and used his strength to make a hole on the wall before using his body as a makeshift stairs for Gary and Misty. Butch stood up there for a few seconds before walking as he followed Gary, standing right next to him. "It's burning down there," Butch said as he looked down. "Tell me how hell looks like in a dream."_

"_What?"_

_In a seemingly swift movement –but what seemed like slow motion to Gary, Butch pushed Gary off the top floor, down to the burning first floor. Gary grabbed Misty by her waist with his left arm and used his right arm to grab onto Butch's bad arm as he fell. Butch could not help but to give in to the pain and fall right after Gary. Gary let go of Butch and then grabbed on to Gyrados who had moved to catch the trainers. Butch mimicked Gary's movement and made it safely to the ground._

_Gary saw as Butch rolled on the floor and grabbed his broken arm. He then gave Gary the finger and disappeared behind the fire. Gary closed his eyes and asked Gyrados to take them out to safety. Gyrados did as told and then was called back by Gary. _

"_Look! It's Gary Oak!"_

_Gary saw the officers and paramedics run to him as he fell on the grass outside the Gym, passing out immediately after but still holding on to Misty for dear life. A few feet away, Gary saw Butch hide behind some bushes before making his way out of the crime scene._

Ash's face was unreadable. A silence invaded the two passengers as Gary read a sign that said: Celadon City, 20 miles. These twenty miles would feel as long as a thousand for the trainers heading there.


	4. Fork in the Road

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 4: Fork in the Road**

Gary read the welcoming sign that told them they had arrived to Celadon City, calling it _The Home of the Biggest Shopping Center in Kanto_. Sadly for the city of Celadon, this would not be the case for much longer. Saffron City was quickly becoming the unofficial capital of the region as businesses bloomed and the city expanded to fit the ever-growing population it was trying to host. Gary smiled at the idea of how something so trivial and dull could make a city so proud. He imagined the happy shoppers, walking around downtown Celadon with their dozen bags of useless products they bought on impulse. When did his life become so shitty and unstable, that he was desperate enough to take it out on innocent shoppers?

"_Hate is in the air."_

The tension in the car had been thick, and neither of them had spoken a word since Gary had told Ash what had occurred in the fire, specifically the part where Misty had kissed Gary. Gary had wanted to apologize for kissing his best friend's ex-girlfriend, and for falling in love with her –even though he had not yet confessed this to Ash, but he knew that at this point, apologizing was just not going to cut it. The cold weather was not as intense in Celadon as it had been in Indigo Plateau, but it was still too much for the naturally warm city. It was as though Mother Nature knew about the wall of thick ice that had seemingly appeared between the two childhood friends, and was only replicating the current situation of their lives.

While still on the road, Gary decided to meet up with Becca before they surprised Jake at his home, Becca's home becoming the destination he was driving to. Ash was not familiar with the streets in Celadon City, so he assumed that they were heading to Jake's residence. He was still upset at Gary, and had not wanted to speak unless he absolutely had to. He ignored the road and concentrated on playing with Misty's Pokémon belt that he carried inside his coat. The drive took them about fifteen minutes into the city before Gary stopped in front of a modest-looking home. The sun had disappeared a long time ago, forcing Gary to guess the correct home from all the similar looking ones in the neighborhood.

He turned off the headlights and debated with himself as to whether or not he should invite Ash inside her home, or leave him waiting outside. The signs of the approaching severe weather made him doubt what to do. He did not want to ask him to come inside, since he did not know how he would react to Becca. Then again, he did not want to be honked at to hurry up. He was concerned about Becca's wellbeing. Without having the nerve to face him, he spoke. "Wanna come with or wanna stay? I want to clear up some stuff with Becca, first."

Ash frowned. "I thought we were going to Jake's house."

"Jake's place is about five blocks away from here. I wanted to get more information from Becca to blackmail the jerk."

Ash sighed. Although he felt responsible for pushing Misty into Gary's arms, he still believed that Gary should have not welcomed her to them so easily. He felt betrayed by his best friend, and former rival. He was hoping he could let go of some steam by beating the living crud out of Jake, and having to wait was not top of his list. However, Gary's plan made sense. The more dirt they knew about Jake, the easier getting information out of him would be.

While he waited for Ash's response, Gary took out his cell phone and sent a message to Becca. He waited a few seconds and a reply was sent to him. _"I'm home. Be at the door in a second."_

Gary lifted his head to the entrance and saw the door opening. Becca gave him a weak smile and waved at him. Gary waved back. "I'll be right back."

"No, _we'll_ be right back," Ash said.

Gary did not reply as he turned off the engine by unplugging the hotwiring he had done. He got out of the car and did not even bother to lock it. Ash silently followed behind. Becca's eyes went from Gary to Ash. Ash's face was unreadable. Becca shrugged, knowing Ash was probably just upset with the situation, and returned her attention to Gary. Both men made it to the door and Becca allowed them to walk inside. Ash made sure the door was locked as Gary gave Becca a huge hug, making Becca flinch. "Are you ok?"

Becca nodded and showed him a few bruises. She had one on her legs, and a few scratches on her neck and cheeks. She also had a bruise on her nose and her arms. Gary knew that Becca was not physically strong, but he also knew that she would not show weakness if she could avoid it. "These are all I have to show for it. They'll go away. Bryan is recovering from a shot, though. Nurses kicked me out for the night, said I need to sleep."

"I think you do," Gary said as he pointed at the dark circles under her eyes. Becca covered her face. "I guess the makeup didn't work that well."

"You should stop buying the cheap kind. You look like hell," Gay joked.

"Shut the fuck up."

Gary smiled and Becca giggled. "You guys want something to eat? Drink?"

"I'd like some water. Ash?"

Ash shook his head.

"Water it is," Becca said as she left the living room for a few moments while she prepared some snacks. Ash followed Gary to the sitting area and got comfortable on the couches. As Becca could be heard in the kitchen, Gary closed his eyes and remembered how he and the wonderful blonde in the kitchen had met.

_He stopped a few feet away from her, smiling at how she was completely unaware of her surroundings as the crispy donuts on display absorbed every bit of her attention. She licked her lips as they could almost taste the creamy inside of the donuts they had once tasted before when she was a little girl. Her hands instinctively reached for her pockets only to pull out the empty inside fabric from them. Becca sighed in sadness. She needed to defeat someone to get some cash to afford eating something tonight._

_Gary walked over the blonde and stood right next to her, pretending to stare at the donuts. Becca quickly realized she was not alone anymore and pretended to turn around and leave as she just took a couple of steps away from the glass and relaxed her back on the last concrete pillar of the store. Gary smiled as he walked inside the store and after a few minutes came out with a bag of dozen crispy donuts. He stopped at the entrance of the store and took one out, overly exaggerating its good taste before slowly eating it in front of Becca._

_Becca could not help to watch the fate of the donut as it disappeared in Gary's mouth. She watched him as he licked every single one of his fingers before closing the bag and walked in her direction. Becca pretended not to stare at the bag as Gary walked in front of her and stopped to face her._

_"This is too much for me. Want to share some?"_

_As much as Becca's stomach was screaming an affirmative response, her brain would not let her accept charity from strangers, especially a seemingly pretentious guy she had just met. With every little bit of willpower in her body she shook her head and immediately looked the other way. Gary smirked at the generally familiar indication of pride as he spoke again. "Do you really want to toss twelve donuts to waste?"_

_Becca spoke without turning to face him: "Bought a baker's dozen just for you?"_

_"I only paid for twelve."_

_Becca turned around and saw his mischievous little grin. She could not help to smile. "Why do you want me to eat them? Did you stuff them with love poison? Is that how you get girls?"_

_"You are a girl? I thought you were a dude."_

_Becca's eyes widened at the daring comment Gary Oak had just made. She knew he was kidding, trying to sound as tough as she wanted to sound, but it did not make the comment less hurtful. _

_"You are jerk, you know that?"_

_"I've been told."_

_"Look, I don't need your charity. Leave me alone."_

_"Charity? I was just doing the best thing I learned in pre-school: sharing."_

_"Sharing is a nice way to say charity. Now go."_

_"Look, I am just trying to help you. Why don't you make it easier for me and take the damn donuts?"_

_"I don't accept charity from anyone."_

_"I can see that," Gary said as he stared at her ragged clothes._

_Becca began feeling uncomfortable and stared away from him. She began feeling anxious and wanted to leave his presence but her stomach had not tasted anything in the past three days._

_Gary saw the uneasiness in her face but he would not give up until the skinny girl got some food in her system. Becca hoped that if she looked away he would eventually leave her alone but after five minutes of constant staring coming from him she decided to switch the topic and perhaps try to annoy the hell out of him until he left._

_She looked at him up and down, trying to find something on him to stir up conversation. The sun was slowly disappearing in the horizon. The night would come soon and she would spend one more day without food in her body. Thankfully for her, her eyes caught a glimpse of his Pokémon belt. _"He's a trainer!"

_Gary smiled at the new sparkle he saw in her eyes and could not help to make another uncomfortably arrogant comment to her. "Why are you starting at my crotch?"_

_Becca's head snapped up as both of her hands rested on her hips. "What? I am NOT looking at your crotch. You ain't that cute, you know?"_

_Gary smirked. "So, how do you want to pay for these donuts?"_

_Becca's anger melted. Paying for stuff was something she could not do and had not been able to do in days._

"I should've never left home,"_ she thought. Though, her wish quickly went away when the memories of fighting parents, long nights of arguments, and countless days of abuse returned to her mind. _"Look at me, thinking of going back home because a random guy wants to give me donuts."

_"I'll never go back to that hell."_

_"I beg you pardon?"_

_Becca realized her whisper had been heard by the arrogant boy. "I said I know how I can pay."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah, you're a trainer, aren't you?"_

_"Gary Oak, at your service."_

_"Becca Gall."_

_"Becca Gall…at my service?"_

_"Nope, just Becca Gall."_

_The two youngsters shook hands and stared at each other for a few seconds. The deep eyes Gary was giving her made her uncomfortable for a second time and she turned away._

_"So, how are you paying for these?"_

_"Pokémon battle."_

_"You're a trainer too?"_

_Becca nodded. "Best two out of three gets all the donuts. How's it sound?"_

_"Like a deal."_

_They both nodded at each other before realizing they were still in front of the donut shop. "We need to find another place to battle," Gary said._

_"I know a place," Becca began, "there is a park a few blocks down from here. It's almost dark; people should be leaving it by now."_

_"Ok, lead the way, I am not from here," Gary said._

_Becca nodded and began heading south. Gary followed her without saying another word. Celadon had always been a very busy city, and even at night there were still plenty of cars and people in the streets. Gary stared at the busy and hurried up pedestrians as they made their way home._

_"So, where you from?"_

_Gary returned his gaze to the back of the blonde's hair before he replied. "Pallet Town."_

_"Middle-of-nowhere Pallet Town?"_

_"Yeah, boring place if you ask me."_

_"I bet."_

_"How about you?"_

_"I'm from Saffron."_

_"I am heading to Saffron," Gary stated. "Defeating Erika was a breeze."_

_"I know; Sabrina too."_

_Gary furrowed. He had defeated Erika a few days ago but had refrained from taking on Sabrina yet. He had seen the battles on the most recent televised Pokémon tournament, and very few even had a chance against her._

_"I find it hard to believe a person like you defeated Sabrina so easily."_

_"I don't live to make believers out of people like you."_

_Fair enough._

_In a matter of seconds, Gary and Becca had arrived to the mentioned park, and as Becca had said, the families that were hanging around there were wrapping it up. "Want to start the battle? A nice comfortable bed in the Pokémon Center is waiting for me."_

_"Sure, and your donuts are mine."_

_"We'll see about that."_

_The trainers stood on opposite sides as each took out their first pokeball. Gary wanted Becca to have something to eat as soon as possible, so he wasted no time in calling out his first Pokémon: Squirtle._

_"That's a cute Squirtle!"_

_"Thanks."_

_Becca nodded to express her honesty as she called out her Pokémon. The red light of the pokeball left a Haunter floating in the air. "Ready?"_

_Gary nodded in agreement._

_"Squirtle, water gun, go!"_

_Squirtle nodded and began running towards Haunter. Haunter stared at the blue turtle as it evaded attacks that were not there and used random water gun attacks towards Haunter. Haunter received the attacks that did nothing more than refresh him. Haunter laughed. "Thank you, we've walking under the sun for days. Haunter, confusion!"_

_"Squirtle, use your defensive maneuvers!"_

_Squirtle quickly did as told and disappeared inside its own shell. Haunter's eyes glowed yellow as everything around him began to slow down and look fuzzy and distorted. Even Gary felt a little bit of the attack Haunter was releasing. The attack lasted about five seconds, and at the end of it Gary had to blink several times to regain control of his eyes. Pokémon attacks usually don't affect humans unless the attacks are directly aimed to them. Gary knew that the Pokémon had only aimed at his Squirtle, but the intensity of the attack has spread out of the battlefield. Gary looked at Becca to see if she had been affected by the confusion attack, but she looked as secure and composed as she had when the battle started._

_Gary looked at his Pokémon and called it to come out and continue battling. Squirtle did not respond._

_"Squirtle, stop goofing around! Come out!"_

_Becca smiled at Gary's exasperation. She knew Squirtle was out for the count. "My Pokémon are strong, Gary. I've got nothing else to do but train them."_

_Gary smirked. "I'm just getting started, baby."_

_"Me too."_

_Gary called Squirtle a couple of times more before finally giving up and calling him back. Becca had won the first battle. "Did you get this lucky when you battled Sabrina?"_

_"Are you always this hateful when you're losing?"_

_Gary growled. He would never judge a girl by her hunger ever again._

_"Pokeball, go!"_

_Gary released his second Pokémon: Fearrow."_

_ Becca furrowed. Did he know what he was doing? Was he playing nice with her?_

_"Fearrow, swift!"_

_"Haunter, Hypnosis!"_

_"Shit," Gary muttered._

_In moments, Gary's Fearrow was catching some z's on the ground._

_"I think that makes it your two out of three."_

_"I guess it does."_

_Gary called back his Pokémon as Haunter flew towards Becca to hug her. "Great job, Haunter!"_

_Haunter smiled at Becca before returning to his pokeball all by himself._

_"It was a quick but good battle. That Haunter is pretty strong."_

_"Thank you. You gave up too fast, though."_

_Gary wanted to say he had, but as much as he had planned to let her win so she could eat, the truth was that he was good, and that Haunter was one heck of a Pokémon. Gary had battled many times, and no Pokémon had ever had such a strong range of an attack to affect him until now._

_"So, ready for your prize?"_

_"Yup, and I'm going to enjoy them with hot cocoa!"_

_"Ok."_

_Gary walked towards Becca and handed her the bag of donuts. She grabbed them took one before closing the bag again and stared at Gary. "Where are you going now?"_

_"I think I will camp out tonight and head for Saffron tomorrow."_

_"I see."_

_Becca stared at Gary, not knowing how to ask him to stay. It had been a long time since she had had someone her age to speak to or learn from. She had not had friends in a very long, long time. Gary stared at her, also wanting to stay and have a friend for a night, but he was too ashamed to ask her to camp with him._

_"Well, I guess I'll see you around. With those skills, I'm sure I'll see you at the Pokémon Tournament in Indigo."_

_"With your skills, I don't know if I would!"_

_Gary smirked. She had her moments too._

_Gary nodded and turned around. He placed his hands in his pockets as he began walking towards the outskirts of the city. He replayed in his head what had just happened and realized that he had a lot to learn still. He had been so focused in defeating Ash in everything he had forgotten there were trainers stronger than Ash and himself._

_"I need to stop wasting time."_

_Besides all the commotion and defeat, he felt like he had helped someone tonight. He did not know when had been the last time Becca had something to eat or a place to stay. Regardless of his lost battle, he wanted to believe he had made a difference in someone's life for one day._

_"Gary, wait."_

_Or maybe longer._

_"The Pokémon Center is closer than the forest, and it's probably safer anyway. Want to share these donuts with me at the Center?"_

_Gary stopped and turned around, staring at her now friendly blue eyes. "I guess that's a smarter idea. Don't mind if I do."_

_With that, Gary Oak walked with the newly met friend to Celadon's Pokémon Center and spent the next five days with someone who wanted what he wanted: a friend._

"I hope you like cookies; made them myself."

Gary nodded and began eating the cookies. Becca sighed and felt a little bit better about her current situation. Gary had no idea how much she needed a friend at the moment, and she could have not asked for a better person to be with than the young Oak.

"So, what happened?"

Becca took a deep breath. "Where do I start?"

"The beginning would be nice."

Becca rolled her eyes. "It started last night. I was the last one in the Celadon Gym. I ran behind in some paperwork, and told Erica I would close down the Gym when I was done. She didn't want to leave me alone, but I didn't think it would be a big deal."

Ash pretended not to care about the story as he crossed his legs and rested his opened arms on the top of the couch he was resting on. He looked the other way and faked interest on the decorations of the living room.

"Anyway, after I was done I closed the Gym and headed to my car. As soon as I exited the Gym, I got that feeling of being watched. You know which one?"

Gary nodded.

"Well, I started walking faster to my car, as I sent a text message to Bryan that I was heading home. He texted me back that he was mad that I had stayed so late without he knowing about it, and said he was going to drive to the Gym to drive behind me. I was trying to text him saying that it wasn't necessary but my cell phone fell to the ground. When I bent down to pick it up, something hit me on the back."

She made a pause and took a sip of her lemonade. She closed her eyes as if to remember every detail of the assault.

"Someone had kicked me on the back, so I fell to the ground, face first. I hit my nose," she said as she touched it, "but not enough to break it, though it started bleeding. I tried to get up again but someone pushed me to the ground. I tried to turn around but the person wouldn't let me. I started to scream but he pulled my hair back and placed his hand on my mouth."

_Jake's breath smelled of cheap beer. He had been heavily drinking after he had gone back home from Cerulean. Emily had not been happy that Gary Oak had not been taken care of, but at least the burning down of the Gym went as planned. He pulled Becca's hair even tighter as he rested his weight on hers to stop her from moving._

_"If you scream, I'll break your neck."_

_Becca's eyes widened. The Gym's location was supposed to be safe and guarded. Where the hell were the League's officers?_

_He turned her around and her heart skipped a beat. She stared at his eyes and her own eyes widened even more at the familiar face. "Jake? What the fuck do you think you're doing?"_

_Jake smiled at her and stroked her cheek. "I didn't think you'd remember me. It's been a long-ass time."_

_"What do you want from me?"_

_"I don't want anything. But someone wants you to be quiet."_

_"What? Who…"_

_Becca was stopped midsentence by a heavy slap on the face. She felt the small bones on her neck realign with the precision that is achieved only in chiropractic offices. She did not dare to return her head to an upright position, afraid that Jake would try to slap her again._

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Gary Oak."_

_"What about him?"_

_"He's gonna look for you, and you're gonna turn your back on him."_

_"I'm what?"_

_Jake held her chin with his hand and straightened her head, only to slap it to the other side. She felt her cheek burn and closed her eyes. "He's gonna ask you for help, and you are gonna say you don't know me. Do you understand?"_

_Becca did not want to say a word. There was no way in this lifetime that she would betray Gary to protect a dick like Jake. She had enough of him in high school, and she was not going to do any more protecting for him._

_"I asked you a question! Do you understand?"_

_She continued to keep her mouth shut. Bryan would be here any minute and he would save her._

_"Don't play dumb with me. Answer me!"_

_Jake straightened her face once again, and was ready to strike her once more but he stopped when he saw headlights. He pushed himself from Becca, and kicked her legs in the process. Her hands went to her legs as a reflex to stop the pain._

_The driver's door opened and a tall person got out from the car. Jake could not see who it was as the headlights killed his visibility. Jake continued to walk towards the stranger as he reached for his back and pulled out a gun._

_"Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing here? Lost?"_

_"I was about to ask you the same damn thing."_

_"Let me answer you, then," Jake said as he aimed the gun at the new arrival. The guy jumped inside the car and accelerated. Jake tried to avoid the hit and was almost out of range if it was not for the car turning at the last second. Jake held himself on the hood until the car stopped, sending Jake rolling to the ground._

_Bryan got himself out of the car and ran to Becca. He kneeled in front of her and cursed. "Are you ok? Where does it hurt? Is anything broken?"_

_Becca nodded as she held on to Bryan's hands. "Let's get out of here."_

_ Bryan nodded as Becca allowed him to pull her up. He placed his right arm around Becca's waist and held her left arm around his neck. Becca placed her left arm around his waist and held her forehead with her right hand._

_"My legs hurt."_

_Bryan held her tighter as he realized that her legs were about to give in to the pain. "What the hell did he do to you?"_

_"Not now…"_

_"We need to get you to a hospital."_

_"I'm fine…"_

_"No, you are not."_

_"What are you? A doctor?"_

_Bryan smiled as Becca realized what she had asked. Bryan was in fact a doctor as he was at least eight years older than her. "Well, then you can take care of me at home."_

_Bryan stood in front of the passenger's seat and carefully laid Becca on it. He strapped her and closed the door. He sighed and saw his own breath come out of his mouth and disappear almost instantaneously. Winter was making its way to Kanto. He felt a shiver go down his neck as he readjusted his clothes. Becca had been holding on to his shirt and jacket and she had wrinkled them out. He then began walking around the front of the car to get on the driver's seat when his eyes caught a realization that made him stop in his tracks._

_Jake was gone._

_Bryan narrowed his eyes, hoping that Jake was only bark and no bite and had ran off. Bryan did not see where he could have gone, as the parking lot of the Celadon Gym was almost completely dark. He looked back at Becca who was wondering why he was not moving. Becca patted the windshield from the inside. "Hurry up!"_

_Bryan shook his head and began making his way to the car but a bullet stopped him from doing so. Bryan screamed as Becca's head went to the right to see Jake standing in the shadows. Bryan held onto the hood of the car and dragged himself inside the car. He clumsily closed the door as he saw Jake approach them, aiming at them again._

_"Bryan, where did he shoot you?"_

_"Not now…reverse!"_

_"What?"_

_"REVERSE!"_

_Becca's shaking hands grabbed the shift gear and placed it on the R. Bryan pressed the pedal and the wheels rotated on the spot before accelerating in reverse. Jake took a few more shots at them before Bryan spun the car and headed back to his workplace at Celadon General Hospital._

"The doctors kept him there for overnight observation," Becca added. "I'll go back to get him tomorrow afternoon."

Gary felt his blood boil. This Jake Dragon knew way too much about him, and had almost gotten rid of two of his friends. Was it not enough that he almost took out Misty? That her sisters were in house arrest? That three members of Team Rocket were dead? What did he and Emily want from him?

Ash turned around and stared at Becca with a face that Gary had never seen before. It was a face of pure anger and defensiveness that Ash had never have had to use before. "What do you know about Dawn?"

Becca sighed. Even though Becca was not as high up in the ranks of the Pokémon League, she still knew who Ash Ketchum was. It never ceased to amaze her how an organization of so many important people could hardly make its members meet.

"Are you really looking for answers, Ketchum?"

"I asked you, didn't I?"

"Are you ready for the answers you are looking for?"

"Will you cut the bullshit and just answer the question?"

Gary glared at Ash for his jerk attitude. He knew that he wanted to know what relation did Dawn have with Jake, and how it all linked to Emily Dragon's attempts to murder Misty, but he did not believe that Becca had to take the blame for it. He opened his mouth to tell off Ash, but Becca's hands on his made him stop. "He has the right to be pissed off…"

"Damn straight I am…"

"But I ain't putting up with _your_ bullshit. If you want the information you're gonna have to suck it up, and take it out on someone else but me."

Gary smiled. Becca was not the one to put up with crap from anyone, not even from Gary Oak. Ash growled but lowered his face. She was right, and he hated the fact that she was.

"Dawn, Jake and I went to school together," Becca began, "in fact, Dawn and I used to be best friends."

"She has never mentioned you."

"_Used_ to…"

Becca sighed as Ash shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Becca stood up and walked to a bookcase. She looked at the books on it and finally chose one. She handed it to Ash as she returned to her seat. It was a photo album, with a picture of her high school on the front cover.

Ash opened it and saw a picture of a much younger-looking Becca and Dawn hugging each other. He flipped the page and saw a picture of Dawn kissing a guy. He then saw a picture of the same guy, Dawn, Becca and an older-looking woman. Becca allowed Ash to move through the pages and stare at the pictures before she spoke.

"Dawn and I used to be very close until it was time to apply for Pokémon College. By then, Jake had been kicked out of school for his attitude, so he and Dawn had broken up. We both applied to the college, but only I got chosen. Dawn got mad at me and our friendship ended right there and then."

Ash gave her an incredulous smile. "I guess the friendship wasn't as real as I thought. She was very immature about it. It wasn't my fault she didn't get accepted. Go to page 2."

Ash did as told. He was staring at the picture with Dawn kissing the random guy.

"That's Jake."

Ash stared at the picture of the guy with eyes that could have burned down the album. He tried handing the album to Gary but Gary shook his head. "I know what the asshole looks like."

Ash shrugged it off and went to the next page again. He pointed at the older-looking girl and asked who she was. Neither Gary nor Ash was reading for the response.

"That's Jake's sister. Her name is Emily Dragon. She went MIA after she moved to the Orange Islands. No one has heard from her since."

"No one except Jake, I suppose," Ash said.

"Perhaps, but if we want to know more of who she is, we're gonna to have to ask Jake himself."

"All I know is that she was Jake's guardian. Their parents died when he was just a kid. Plane crash or something; it was a big deal. You can probably find it in the Pokémon member database."

"Why would they be in the database?"

"They applied for the Cerulean Gym Leader position. They battled Misty's parents but Misty's parents won."

"How do you know this?"

"Pokémon College. Misty's parents were the best water-Pokémon trainers in their time."

Ash stood up and gave the photo album back to Becca. She took it and gave Ash a big smile. "Misty is lucky to have friends like you."

Ash bowed to Becca before walking to the door. Gary gave Becca one last hug and asked her to watch out. She returned the embrace and kissed Gary on his cheek. "Kick his ass."

"You better believe it."

Gary gave Becca one last look before following Ash to the car. Becca waved at them from her front door before closing it. Gary hotwired the car again and sped in the direction of Jake's home. Ash could feel his anger rising with every turn they made. He was about to meet, in person, the guy who had tried to kill Misty. They guy who had beat up Gary's friend, and shot her husband. The guy who was their only connection to Emily Dragon. The one guy who they needed to break down in order to clear them all.

Gary stopped in front of the small home. He turned off the car and glanced at Ash who was already opening the door. Both of them got out of the car and stood in front of the door. Gary knocked on the door as he yelled the words "Pizza delivery."

Shuffling was heard coming from the other side of the door. Gary and Ash stood on either side of the door to avoid being seeing by the peephole. The door opened and revealed a very beat up Jake Dragon who spat at the floor. "I didn't order any fucking pizza!"

Ash and Gary appeared in front of him and they both pushed him inside. "Let go of me!"

Ash closed the door behind him as Gary pushed the guy to a wall, his grip strong on Jake's neck. "Miss me? I told you I would find your ass."

"Motherfucker! How the fuck did you find me?"

"Phonebook!"

"What?"

Gary lifted him even farther from the floor as Jake's hands went to his neck. "Ash, check him."

Ask did as told and checked Jake's clothes for knives or guns. When he found none, he told Gary he was clear.

Gary pressed his hand even further into his skin, making Jake's eyes pop out. Ash saw the anger on Gary's eyes and decided to intervene. "Dude, you're gonna kill him!"

"I will, if he doesn't cooperate. What do you say, Jake? Are you gonna be a good boy and talk?"

"I don't know shit"

"Oh, don't you?" Gary said as he punched Jake in the stomach. "Do you remember this? I told you your balls would be next. Want me to hold on to that promise?"

"N-no! I'll t-talk! I promise."

"Should I believe you?"

"Yes! PLEASE!"

Gary let go of Jake and he hit the floor like a sack. He coughed and gasped for air at the same time he held his neck with his hands. Gary took a few steps back and took out a gun Ash did not know he had. He pointed the gun at Jake's most sensitive area as Ash stared at him and at Jake. He had never seen Gary this upset. But then again, being blackmailed, almost murdered, and accused of something you did not do did not sit well with the researcher either. "Now, you owe me a friend. Should I take it out on your nuts?"

"What?"

"You beat the hell outta my friend and her husband. How can I make it even?"

"J-just…just tell me what you want, ok?"

"What do I want? The same fucking thing I wanted a few days ago! Information! Where is Emily Dragon?"

"I don't know."

"Again with that story?" Gary asked as he cocked the gun.

"I swear I don't!"

"You're telling me you don't know where your sister is?"

"She went to the Orange Islands a long time ago. I don't know where she is now."

"How do you know she wants Misty killed?"

"She sends me stuff…through a contact…she tells the contact what she wants done, and the contact tells me."

"Who is this contact?"

Jake looked at Ash and smiled. "I think you know."

_Dawn._

Ash's fists trembled. How could Dawn have sunk so low? He had the enemy in his bedroom, carrying his child, and he did not know it? Ash felt his head was about to explore.

"You're lying."

"How is the baby coming along? She looked pretty tired last time I saw her. Hasn't been sleeping, uh?"

"I'm gonna kill him," Ash said as he jumped on Jake. Jake began screaming and asked Gary if he was not going to stop Ash. Gary smiled. "We're just taking turns on you. I'm next."

Jake and Ash began fighting, beating each other. Jake was much smaller than Ash, and was still agonizing from Gary's display of affection. After a few more moments, Gary decided it was enough. "Come on, Ash. We got another person to talk to now."

"Are you kidding? By the time we leave this place, Dawn is gonna be long gone."

"No, she won't. She can't run away with a baby."

"I guess not."

Gary kicked Jake in the face before putting the gun away. Ash placed his foot on Jake's testicles and pressed against them. "I hope you have a good lawyer."

After causing a little bit more damage to Jake, Ash turned around and joined Gary who was waiting for him at the door. They got out and closed the door behind them. They looked around to see if there was anyone around that could have heard the beating but they saw no one. They walked to the car and got in it. Gary turned on the car and frowned. "We need gas. We aren't gonna make it to Cerulean with a quart."

"Great."

Gary drove out of the parking spot, u-turned and headed east to Route 7. "We'll put some gas in before we leave the city, go through Saffron and then north to Cerulean. Maybe we can find a decent car while we are at it."

"You mean one that isn't hotwired?"

"Perhaps."

"Alright."

Gary began driving on the freeway to exit Celadon City. He turned on the radio to try and clear his mind. His face was still flushed from seeing Jake once again, and his fists still trembled with anger. He had never hated a person as much as he hated Jake. Ash, on the other hand, was still trying to believe what he had just witnessed. He never knew Gary could be so aggressive when he wanted to be._ "I guess all those fights as kids were really just a game."_

They had been driving for twenty minutes until they finally reached the limits of the city. Gary saw a sign that said a gas station was nearby, and got off the expressway in the next exit. Gary turned right to enter the gas station, and parked in the farther out pump. He knew gas stations had cameras, and he did not want to be spotted just yet.

"Stay in the car, I'll pump the gas," Ash said.

"With what money?"

Ash's face fell. He had forgotten he left his valuable cash and cards back at Indigo Plateau. Gary took out his wallet and got out of the car. "I'll go pay, you pump gas." He took out a twenty and gave the rest of the money to Ash. "I'll be right back."

Gary stood out and partially covered his face with his jacket. The weather was helping him not being spotted as the people around him were more concerned about getting to their cars and away from the cold than looking for an outlaw. He walked inside the convenience store and was hit by the smell of fresh coffee. His senses guided him to grab himself a cup of it before heading to the waiting line at the check-out counter. _"This is what I'm talking about," _Gary thought as he took a sip of his coffee.

He saw Ash pumping gas and waved at him, signaling he was almost done. He then made a gesture with his fingers to tell Gary it had totaled exactly $20. Gary looked to the line in front of him. There were four people in front of him. He then looked behind him and the second he did, he wished he had not at all.

A police officer looked down at him and frowned. "Is there a problem, kid?"

Gary shook his head and turned back. He pulled up his jacket even more to cover his face. One of the clerks picked up the remote to the old television they had hanging on the corner of the store and raised the volume.

"This is the image of suspect, Gary Oak. If you have seen him, please call the number shown below."

_"Fuck."_

The cashier dispatched one more client, making Gary three people away from being helped. He took another sip of his coffee. Gary tried not to look at Ash who had moved the car to the front parking lot. He was growing impatient. _"What is taking that cashier so long?"_

Another person was helped and walked out of the store. Gary was holding his breath. _"Only two more."_

The person at the counter rolled his eyes as he read the total amount to pay to the client, when the old lady took out a bag of pocket change. "Just give me a minute, sonny."

_"These people!"_

The officer behind Gary shifted from one leg to the other, obviously annoyed by the old lady at the front. He took a moment to look at the television as the news showed Gary's face for the twentieth time. The officer's eyes narrowed.

Finally the lady moved out of the way and the last person in front of Gary was being helped. "Give me some cigarettes."

"May I see some ID?"

The obviously old man frowned as he struggled with his coat to find his wallet. He mumbled something about how his wrinkled face and white hairs were his ID, but he found his wallet nonetheless. The young clerk compared the picture on the ID to the old man and nodded. "What kind, sir?"

The old man told him what he wanted and the clerk was quick to dispatch him. However, when the cashier totaled the amount to pay, the old man snapped his fingers. "I need a lottery ticket too!"

_"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"_

The clerk took a couple of more minutes to get the old man his lottery ticket. Once he was all done he thanked the clerk and disappeared behind the doors. Gary took a step and pointed to the coffee. The clerk added the total to the register. "Twenty of gas, too."

The clerk added it to it and gave Gary his total. Gary took out the twenty and began looking for pocket change to pay for the coffee. _"Shit, I didn't bring enough money."_

"Here," Gary said as he placed the twenty on the counter. "I need a couple of more bucks for the coffee, let me go get them from my friend."

"You think I'm stupid, kid? You ain't leaving this place until you pay."

"Look, I'm not gonna steal your coffee. I'll leave you the twenty and the cup and will be right back."

"Sure you are, I know your kind! You punks!"

Gary did not want to call attention to himself, but the cashier was not making it an easy job. "Here, keep the coffee. I don't want any trouble."

Gary left the coffee on the table and looked up at the clerk. The clerk's eyes widened. "You're Gary Oak!"

Gary's heart began racing. "W-what?"

The clerk looked at the cop and then pointed to Gary. "This is the kid the League is looking for!"

The officer placed a hand on Gary's shoulder and tried to turn him over. Gary stood in place. "Let me go!"

"He is!"

Gary grabbed the coffee and threw it at the officer's face. He cried as the coffee burned his face but kept walking towards Gary who was now trying to run through the doors opposite to where Ash had parked. Ash saw Gary running to the doors, and then saw a police patrol drive to the other side and park in front of the doors Gary wanted to use to escape. "No."

The officers got out of the car and pointed their guns at Gary, telling him to stop. Gary had no other option but to stop.

The officer with the burned face kicked Gary to the floor. He patted down Gary and found the gun he was carrying on his back. Gary cursed under his breath. The officer turned him over and confirmed it was the one and only Gary Oak. "I hope you have a good lawyer."

_"Don't that sound familiar?"_

Gary growled as he was carried outside. The officer pushed Gary onto the hood of the car and handcuffed him. "Next time, I won't be so nice," the officer said as he dried his face.

Ash casually walked to the pay phone that was around the corner where Gary was getting arrested. The only female officer in the car held Gary and pushed him even further on the hood. "Who are you with?"

"No one!"

"Bullshit!" she cried. "Who are you with?"

"I said no one!"

The officer picked up Gary from his handcuffed hands and smashed him against the store's wall. Neither Gary nor the officers could see Ash standing around the corner, pretending to make a phone call. Ash's breathing was heavy. "Want me to make a nice image of your face on that wall? Tell me who are you with?"

Gary did not reply and he got smashed against the wall two more times. He began spitting blood and felt his chest was going to explore if he got smashed once more. "Ok, ok…I'll tell you."

Ash felt his legs shake. He could not believe Gary would sell him like that. _"You traitor…you first steal Misty from me…and now this…?"_

"Who is with you, then?"

Gary spat more blood before he spoke. "His name is Jake Dragon. He musta gone back home. I don't see him anymore."

Ash felt his system give up on him. He felt guilt engulf him. He had doubted his friend for the briefest of seconds with no other reason that fearing for his own life. There he was, having the perfect opportunity to bring everyone down with him, and Ash's name was not even spoken.

"Where is home?"

"1321 McNeil Dr."

The female officer pulled Gary from the wall and pushed him inside the police car. The officer with the burned face got in the passenger's seat, and the female on the driver's side. She called for back up as the other patrolman got on the other car and headed to Jake's home. Ash saw as Gary was taken away. He went inside the store, paid the clerk for the gas he had pumped, and headed to Cerulean as fast as he could.


	5. Four Walls

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 5: Four Walls**

Perhaps being surrounded by four walls the rest of his life was not such a bad thing. He could spend the rest of his life inside a hospital, or in his bedroom back in Pallet Town. Then again, this was not as clean as a hospital, with three healthy meals guaranteed, nor was it his own home, filled with all those luxurious amenities that sometimes not even the fanciest hotels could afford to have.

These four walls belonged to a jail cell, and if nothing got better in the next couple of weeks, they would soon become the four dirty, cold walls of a maximum security prison cell; a prison cell where he would live, grow old, and die. Was it really worth it all?

How many times he had asked himself this question was beyond him. It seemed like fate had a nasty way of showing him that not all of his decisions had been the best. _"But sometimes the right decisions aren't necessarily the best decisions."_

In his case, it seemed like all of his right decisions had not been the best.

He lay back on the questionable mattress, his left arm behind his head, his right arm resting on his stomach. The cells were eerie quiet and dark. He had arrived to prison after-hours, and all of his _roommates_ had been sent to sleep a while ago. Even if his eyes adjusted to the dark surroundings, there was nothing pleasant to stare at. The walls were made of thick cinders and the paint was nonexistent. The floor did not have tiles or any other decorations on it with the exception of the cracks that were filled with dirt and old blood. The mattress he laid on at the moment was very thin and had holes all around it, and rested on a concrete surface a few feet above the ground. The toilet on the corner of the cell had not been cleaned in what seemed like months, dark spots clearly visible inside the bowl and on the seat. Water dripped from the bottom of the toilet, and he wondered –hoped, it was nothing more than moisture rather than water combined with urine.

"At least Misty is not here."

Gary sighed at the deprecating conditions he would have to live in for who knew how long. He had no lawyer, and doubted the League would provide him with a good one. The only thing that kept him sane for now was knowing that Ash had not been caught, and the hope that Misty would not be placed in such filthy conditions as these. "Ash would _never_ allow it."

Despite the fact that he was surely upset at himself for not thinking things through, he had no doubt in his mind that Ash would take good care of Misty while he was let go. He was grateful that he had gotten to Ash before the League did, and that he was at least able to show him his side of the story. Ash now knew that Emily Dragon did in fact exist, and that Jake was really trying to end Misty's life. While the actual reasons were still unknown, or at least not confirmed, Gary felt confident that with the small amount of information they had gathered from Becca and Jake that Ash could go to the bottom of this. He believed that her safety was top priority on Ash's list, and that he had learned his lesson about ditching your friends for fortune and fame.

Gary laid on his right side, placing his right arm under his head to use as a pillow, and held his body with his left arm in front of his stomach. He was exhausted and knew he would have worse days ahead. He reluctantly fell asleep when his eyelids gave in to the chance of rest.

A few hundred miles away from Celadon's city jail, dawn was breaking outside Cerulean's Hospital. A tired-looking Ash Ketchum got out of his newly rented car with a cup of coffee in his hand. He hated the taste of coffee; could not ever stand it. However, after waking up in the middle of the night two nights ago, almost dying outside in the freezing weather; spending hours searching for information, driving to Celadon, avoiding getting arrested, and then driving the rest of the night to Cerulean did not set well with his body. He had quickly grown accustomed to the spoiled world he lived in Indigo Plateau, and having to drive around and do extra thinking work was something he had forgotten how to endure.

He took another sip of the horrible-tasting liquid before walking inside the front reception of the hospital. He showed his badge to the receptionist as he cleared his throat. "My name is Ash Ketchum; I work for the Pokémon League. I need to see Misty Waterflower in regards to the ongoing investigation. When would be the best time to come in?"

He sounded so professional. He had never liked using big words, and sounding so polite, but Maya had made sure that both he and Dawn were always representing the League's best side. She had said many times that one of the major issues with the League was that the rest of the world thought the Kanto division was run by uneducated teenagers who had not bothered to learn how to behave and speak properly. _"It takes away our credibility,"_ she had argued one too many times.

As much as he hated to admit it, she was absolutely right. He could still be himself at home and around friends, but when he was out there, displaying his Pokémon League Badge to get into places, he had to make sure that his appearance and behavior was the best anyway had ever seen. He had made sure he did not look as tired as he felt, and had cleaned up his clothes and tucked in his shirt. He did not look official, but he looked presentable. He was wearing normal blue-jeans –not the torn ones he was so fond of, with a light blue shirt. He held his pants with a brown belt that matched his comfortable brown shoes, and wore a darker brown business jacket. His Pokémon belt could be seen hanging around his waist, just below his regular belt. He wore a winter coat on top of it, but the heat of the hospital made him unzip it. He had cut his hair a long time ago, and had decided to spike only the front of it. His trademark cap was nowhere to be seen.

"Visiting hours is until 10 a.m." The receptionist said as she confirmed it was fifteen 'till eight. "However, we can allow an exception for the League."

Ash smiled as he put away his badge. "I truly appreciate it, ma'am."

The nurse took out a badge and scanned it. "You may open the doors you need to get to Ms. Waterflower. She is on the fourth floor, room 419. You may take the elevator at the end of the hall after you go inside the patients' ward."

Ash grabbed the badge and gave the receptionist a slight nod. "Thank you."

He looked to his left and saw the double doors. He walked towards them and slid the badge in the card swiping machine. The red button quickly turned to green and Ash heard the doors getting unlocked. He slowly pushed them inside and then made sure they did not slam shut as he made his way into the patients' ward. He looked around and saw many doors in either side of the hall, but his main goal was to reach the end of the hall to get to the elevator. Four measly floors separated him from her. He began getting an uncomfortable pain in his stomach. He had not seen _her_ in months, and the last time they spoke had not been a very pleasant conversation for either of them.

He forced his legs to walk down the path that would take him to the elevator as his mind thought of what to say to her. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was nothing he could say to make this easier. He could take a proactive approach and apologize before telling her what the situation was, or he could take the usual Ash approach and avoid conflict by telling her they did not have time to argue. The Ash approach had not been very useful to him in the past months. Perhaps the proactive approach was his best option.

He realized he was halfway down the hall. The pain in his stomach got worse; his palms would not stop sweating. Why was he so nervous anyway? Was it really nervousness or just plain anger? Did he resent her action with Gary? Was it really the time to be thinking about something like that?

_"No."_

He sighed as he sped up and finally reached the elevator door. He pressed up and waited a few seconds for the elevator to arrive at his destination. When it did, he quickly got on it and pressed the number four. He waited patiently as the lights above the doors lit from G to 1, and so on. Before he knew it, he had arrived to the fourth floor.

The doors opened and he stared at them for what seemed like an eternity. He stepped out and looked at the sign on the wall in front of him. The sign informed him that Misty's room was on the left. He took a left and saw her room was the first room the right. He felt like something got caught in his throat.

Misty was laying on a bed just pass this door. He took a few steps toward the door and placed his hand on the doorknob. He retracted his hand and made a fist with it. He raised it and knocked on the door. When there was no response, he opened the door and walked inside. He let go of a breath he did not know he had been holding when he saw her. He could not help to flinch as he approached her and got a better view of her.

Her left eye was shut by what had to be a cruel, strong punch to her face. Her lower lip had signs of inflammation and it was slowly healing the wound that crossed her entire mouth. Her neck showed signs of deep scratching and spots of dead blood within her skin. Her wrists were purple and whatever skin the gown showed was either scratched, burned or bandaged. Whatever had happened to her while she was inside the Gym was not what the League was making it to be.

_"Oh, my god! What happened to you?"_

Ash unconsciously lifted his right arm and stroked her left cheek. He looked down at her, hoping that if he blinked enough times, the battered body would disappear. Based on what Gary had told him had happened inside the raging fires of the Cerulean Gym, he had not imaged the severity of her wounds would be this great. He could have sworn someone had had to have used her as a target for baseball hitting, or a boxing punching bag. There was no way a few minutes in a fire against Team Rocket could have done this to her.

Then again, she had been alone for the most part of it.

Ash sighed again and grabbed a chair to sit on next to her bed. He grabbed her hand and carefully played with it with his thumb as his mind took him on a trip to the past, remembering all the times they had been in trouble. Never had he seen her get beaten up like this. They had traveled for years, constantly being attacked by Team Rocket and other enemies he could not even recall their names, but neither of them had been able to touch her. He had never allowed it. No one had dared to touch her but him.

Had he really been this overprotective all these years? Sure as hell he had been! He had been a fool who had been too childish to really admit it before, but he had always watched over her. Even when he was in his field –Pokémon battling, he always kept an eye on her, waiting for that smile of hers that would make it all worth it. When he first started his journey, he believed that only being triumphant in battle could give him personal satisfaction. As the years went by, he begun to realize that the more he succeeded, the happier he became; not because he made it, but because _his_ success made _her_ smile.

_"…lifting me higher and higher…"_ he mumbled the lyrics to one of his favorite songs that described how he felt next to her for the entire time they traveled together. He had not seen her in weeks, and the last time they had seen each other she had learned that he was fathering another woman's baby. Before that, he had been away from her for months, but her memory had never left his mind. He could not list the absurd amount of occasions that remembering her and wanting to be with her had led him to Dawn's bed. One too many, it seemed, as he was going to be a father in a few months.

Why the distance did not erase her from his mind?

_"Because I didn't want to…"_

The bond between him and Misty was not something that would go away in days, weeks, months…even years. The bond between them was something that could not ever be replaced by anyone or anything. Their bond was unbreakable.

His love for her was unbreakable. And if she allowed him, he would never leave her side ever again. Even after she married someone else, even if it was Gary, he would never leave her alone. He will watch her from the distance, but always looking after her wellbeing. He was to blame for all this, and he was ready to make up for his mistake for the rest of his life. His decision had led her to this hospital bed. He could not blame Gary for this; he had gone inside the fire and saved her, endangering his own life. Gary would have not been needed in there if she was not in there, and she would have not been there if he himself had not let her go.

_"No one can protect you like I can."_

He rested his head on the edge of her bed, never letting go of the grip he had on her hand. The bed was rather welcoming, and his eyes were quick to close. He had not realized how tired he really was until his eyelids would not open, and his body felt heavy and unwilling to respond. He hoped he would soon wake up from this nightmare and he could feel her in his arms once again, worry free. "Please bring her back to me."

"Ash?"

Ash held his breath. He remained still for what seem liked an eternity. Had he heard his name being called? There was no one else in the room but them. Had she…spoken?

"Ash, is that you?"

The grip of her hand on his became stronger, and he knew he was not dreaming. He slowly looked up to see their hands, interlocking once again. He followed her arm with his eyes until he reached her shoulder, her neck and eventually her eyes. Eyes that stared back at him with same mix of worry and surprise as his. "Mist?"

Misty smiled. She had missed that nickname. Smiling made her mouth hurt, but she did not care why. She had finally awakened from this nightmare. Ash was right there in front of her, and no force on Earth could take him away from her ever again.

Her eyes went from his eyes to her body. Her eyes quickly became ones filled with fear. She saw the machines hooked up to her body and she became scared. The bruises, blood and bandages on her body did not help the cause. Her heart rate began rising, and the machine gave away her emotion even though she tried to hide it.

"Ash…what happened to me?"

Ash stood up and sat next to her on her bed. He lifted her left hand with his own too and gave it a chaste kiss on the back of it. "Calm down, Misty. Everything's fine…you'll be fine. You just need to relax."

"But…these bruises…"

"All are that is left for you to remember. No need to worry 'bout it anymore."

"Where am I?"

"Cerulean Hospital."

"What happened?"

Ash sighed. "I was hoping you knew. All I know is that the Cerulean Gym burned down."

"What?" Misty said before her face changed again. Her eyes scanned the room as a sign that her mind was looking for something. She lifted her right hand and examined it carefully. She saw the markings around her wrists, and then carefully probed her own face.

"Butch…"

"What about Butch, Misty? What happened?"

"He…"

Ash placed a harder grip on her hand as he looked at her. She was fighting a silent battle with herself. She needed the reassurance that everything was going to be alright. "Misty, there are many things that happened while you were asleep. I want to help you, but I need to know what happened inside the Gym, before Gary got there."

_"Gary!"_ Misty thought. Her heart began racing again as her eyes scanned the room, this time looking for the playboy's whereabouts. "Oh, dear lord! Where is he…he didn't…"

"No, he _is_ alive. Calm down, please. The nurses will kick me out if they see you this upset."

Misty nodded, still wondering about Gary but trusting that he was indeed alive.

"My sisters?"

"Your sisters are fine too. I need you to help me, Misty. Please tell me what happened inside the Gym."

"It's fuzzy."

"Please, try to remember."

"So many memories…"

Ash sighed inwardly. This was going nowhere. He had not planned on telling her about Gary's situation right away, but he figured she needed a motivation to set her memories straight. He let go of her hand and placed both of his hands on each of her shoulders. He got as close as he could to her face without making her feel uncomfortable and whispered to her.

"Mist, everything's really fucked up right now. Gary got arrested, and so will you. You're being blamed for the fire. If you can't tell me what happened in there, I can't help him or you get out of this mess. Please, help me, Misty. I want to get you both outta this."

Misty could not help to get lost in his eyes and his gentle touch. While they were not as dominating as Gary's, Ash eyes carried more nobleness than Gary's did. Gary's eyes displayed power; Ash's eyes displayed humility. She nodded and closed her eyes. Ash saw her furrow her eyebrows as if trying to assemble her thoughts.

"After Gary left, I made my bags to follow him." Misty felt Ash's involuntary flinch at his. It did not matter how long it had been, he was still jealous of any man that could steal Misty's heart. Misty decided to shrug it off.

"I was waiting for my sisters to arrive so I could leave the Gym. I went downstairs to set the alarm and that was when I saw them."

"Team Rocket?"

"Yes."

"Go on."

"I told them they couldn't take my Pokémon. I ran to the system and activated it so the Pokémon would be secured. Team Rocket began to follow me, so I ran upstairs."

_Misty looked behind her shoulder for a few seconds and saw the four members of Team Rocket quickly approaching her. She knew her Pokémon were safe, but to keep the safe she had to lock herself inside the gym with the intruders. She ran towards the stairs that would lead her to the office so she could lock herself inside there, but Cassidy caught up with her._

_Cassidy grabbed Misty's ankle and pulled her down. Misty tripped and rolled down the stairs for a second time in her home. She ended up face down at the bottom of the stairs. Jessie, James, and Butch stood in front of her. Cassidy stood behind her, on the stairs._

_"What do you want from me?"_

_"Somebody asked us to do a little favor," Butch said._

_"Asked? More like PAID," Cassidy said._

_"Whatever it is, you aren't gonna get away with it! My sisters will be here any moment!"_

_The Rockets laughed. "Your sisters? Please! They are still very much buried in paperwork in Indigo Plateau," Cassidy said._

_"How…how do you know?"_

_"We know people."_

_Misty tried to get up but Cassidy used the heel of her boot to kick her back into place. "Where do you think you are going?"_

_"You guys are screwed, there are hidden cameras everywhere. The police will find the tapes and you'll go to prison."_

_The Rockets laughed again. "Are you kiddin' me? Jessie, James, time for your part of the deal."_

_Jessie and James looked at each other both having an uncomfortable look on their faces. Misty lifted her head enough to watch them as they began spreading gasoline around the Gym. "Stop! Please!"_

_Neither of them had the guts to look at her in the eyes. They knew her and her bratty companions for years now. While it was true that they had battled several times, it had never been truly personal. They were Pokémon robbers, and the brats were Pokémon trainers. The last thing Jessie and James were murderers._

_Butch picked up Misty by her hair. She screamed and tried to free herself but Cassidy took out a small knife and pointed it at her stomach. "Scream again and I'll make a bigger hole for you to yell from."_

_Misty gulped. "You made enemies with the wrong people, girl."_

_"What did I…"_

_Misty's question was interrupted by a punch from Butch to her left eye. She felt heat covering her eye and blood dripping down her cheek. She began moaning in pain and Cassidy reacted to this by cutting her stomach, her arms and her legs."_

_"Does it hurt? Do the cuts sting?"_

_Misty could not believe what was happening to her, nor did she understand why it was happening at all. Butch let go of Misty's hair and grabbed her by her wrists, placing enough force on them to make them crack._

_"It hurts, please stop!"_

_"We're getting good money for this. We're gonna do this right."_

_Butch slapped Misty's face as Cassidy continue to make small cuts around Misty's body. Jessie and James tried to ignore what was happening while they finished pouring gasoline inside the entire building. James looked up and his face fell when he saw what Butch and Cassidy were doing to Misty. He knew they had to get rid of her and make it seem like suicide or an accident, but this was too much._

_"Butch, quit it. Let's burn this place and get the hell out of here. It won't matter if you hit her or not."_

_"If it don't matter, then why not have some fun?"_

_James fists trembled. "Stop it, man. That's enough!"_

_Butch's anger rose. He had never liked James, and when he had been told that he had to work with him to do this job, he had not liked the idea one bit. However, the amount of money he had been offered was too much to ignore. Part of the deal was to bring Jessie and James because they knew Misty and had battled her many times before. Whether he liked it or not, Jessie and James had to go with them to Cerulean's Gym._

_Butch eyed Cassidy to tell her it was her turn to have fun with Misty. Cassidy grabbed Misty by the hair and began pulling her up the stairs. "Why don't you show me your room?"_

_Butch walked to James and punched him in the face. "I don't take orders from you! Get it? Now shut the fuck up and do your job!"_

_James hit the floor as Jessie ran behind him. "That wasn't necessary Butch! You jerk!"_

_"Fuck you."_

_Butch turned around to watch as Cassidy had stopped midway on the stairs and was now kicking Misty's head. "I…really…don't…like…girls…like…you…"_

_Misty tried to free herself from her grip but Cassidy's anger was overwhelming. "What did I ever do to you?"_

_"Nothing to me, but Emily Dragon is pissed at you."_

_"Cassidy, shut up!" Butch yelled at her. "Relax, it's not like she's gonna get out of here alive."_

_"Still!"_

_"Whatever, I said it, so what?"_

_"Emily Dragon…" Misty thought as she saw Cassidy and Butch argue back and forth. Jessie and James had begun lighting up the other rooms of the gym. The fire was spreading fast. Misty watched as Butch and Cassidy's argument went on and on. She took this to her advantage and grabbed both of Cassidy's feet, aiming to trip her so she could run away. Cassidy felt the grip on her ankles and tried to free herself. Misty held on to her ankles like glue and tried to get up herself. Cassidy kept pushing her back down with her hands but she was getting tired. Cassidy tried to push down Misty one last time but she lost balance. Misty's lips hit the edge of the step and began bleeding. She let go of Cassidy to clean her mouth at the same moment Cassidy was planning on pulling away from her. Cassidy lost balance completely and flipped over the stair's rail. Misty tried to grab her but she was too late. A loud scream was heard right before a crack and thud sounds. _

_Cassidy had fallen six feet down and had broken her neck. Misty stood up and saw her bleeding from her head. "God…I didn't mean to…"_

"_You bitch!"_

_Misty looked up to see Butch charging at her rather quickly. Misty began running up the stairs as she saw Jessie and James running after him. The fire alarm began going off and the fire was intensifying rapidly. "Butch, we need to get out of here now!"_

"_Shut up! I'm going to kill that bitch first! She killed Cassidy!"_

_Jessie and James looked at where Butch was pointing. They saw a fast-growing pile of blood below Cassidy. "This is not going according to plan," Jessie said._

"_Go get the car, James. I am going to get Misty out of here."_

_Butch had disappeared behind the cloud of smoke. Misty's screams were heard coming from upstairs and Jessie could only imagine what was happening to her. "I don't like the twerp but whatever Butch is doing to her, she doesn't deserve."_

"_Jessie, will you be ok?"_

"'_Course I will! I can kick any guy's ass."_

_James gave Jessie one last hug before disappearing on the back of the Gym. Jessie heard James call out his newly acquired Golem to make a hole on the back of the Gym as she ran upstairs to try and save her oldest female rival._

_Jessie followed the screams and found the room where they came from. She opened the door just in time to see Butch finishing forcing herself into Misty. Jessie's blood boiled. Like she had said, she didn't like Misty, but that didn't mean Butch could use her like this. "You are such a pig."_

_Butch zipped up his pants before turning to face Jessie. Jessie wasted no time and punched Butch in the face while he was still adjusting his pants. Butch fell to his knees and Jessie took this opportunity to knee him on the stomach. She then turned to Misty who was still in shock. "Twerp, get the fuck out of here before he recovers. Get out!"_

_Misty stared at Jessie with bewildered eyes. Was Jessie helping her?_

_"But Jessie…"_

_"GO!"_

_Misty nodded and ignoring all the pains she was feeling, she clumsily ran to the hall. The stairs were burning by now and there was no way she could use them. The smoke was piercing her lungs and hindering her senses._

_She tried her best to walk to the office. She could use the phone and call the police. The office was a very secure room. Team Rocket –Butch, would not be able to get her in there. _

_Back in the room where Misty had been before, Butch and Jessie were in the middle of a fight. Even though Butch was a man, Jessie knew some moves to keep herself protected. Yet, she was getting tired and the smoke was not helping her keep her guard up. If she was correct, James should be outside with the car by now. She had to get out of the room soon._

_"Emily Dragon is not going to be happy when she sees you betrayed her. She doesn't stand traitors."_

_"I couldn't care less."_

_"Then you as good dead as alive," Butch said as he took out a knife and threw it directly at Jessie. Jessie was no expecting this attack and was not able to dodge it. The knife dug into her leg. "Aaaahhh!!!"_

_Jessie fell to the floor in pain. Butch slowly approached her and pulled the knife from her leg, only to dig it in her stomach once, twice, and a couple of more times._

_James walked inside the Gym just in time to hear Jessie scream. He stood at the entrance lobby of the Gym to listen more carefully and find out where Jessie was. The stairs were practically gone by now. James screamed her name._

_As he tried to pay attention to the screams that kept getting softer and softer, he did not pay attention to his surroundings and a piece of wood fell from the ceiling, knocking him unconscious. His last words before he passed out were words of regret for what they had done._

_After Butch made sure Jessie had enough holes in her stomach to be able to survive, he pulled her out the room and threw her to the fire. Jessie was already dead._

_He saw Misty dragging herself on the floor. She was too weak to keep fighting. Butch smiled as he slowly approached her, the knife still in his hands. "Hey, kitty, kitty, kitty."_

_Misty heard him and tried to push herself up from the floor but she was too hurt and tired. She felt her luck run out. "You're gonna pay for what you did to my friend."_

_Misty mumbled that she had not meant for her to die, but Butch did not listen. He stopped in front of Misty and picked her up from the floor. "A little birdie told me you have a secure room here. You and me are gonna have some fun in it."_

_"No…"_

_Butch placed Misty on his shoulder and walked to the room as easily as if he knew where everything was in this house. He lifted Misty's hand and placed her fingertip on the detector. The door opened and they both went in. Misty regretted not bringing her Pokémon with her and leaving them in the hall where she thought they would be safe._

Misty's eyes were filled with tears when she was done. She did not care about the bruises, or the scars the cuts would surely leave. While she felt angry and ashamed at had being raped by Butch, she knew that she at least still had her life ahead of her; something that neither Jessie nor James could say about their lives. _"All because they tried to help me."_

On the other hand, Ash's blood was boiling inside his body. He now understood why Misty had kissed Gary; she was relieved to see him. After being broken like that, there was no wonder why she had been so grateful to the playboy. He himself was more grateful than anyone else to Gary that he had gone back inside to save her life. If she had died there…he did not even want to imagine what he would have done.

He was also grateful to Jessie and James. He knew that they were not the type to murder anyone, and while their actions cost them their lives, he would make sure their sacrifices were not in vain.

Butch, on the other hand…

"That motherfucking bastard…"

Misty's eyes closed, trying to stop the tears. She could not bear to see the disappointment in his eyes. Even though she did not owe him an explanation for this, she felt dirty in his presence. _"Gary cannot know about this. It'll crush him."_

Misty got caught in her own little world where she thought about possible ways to not tell Gary what Butch had done to her. She knew he would not stand for it, and would probably blame himself.

"I'm going to kill him."

Misty's eyes snapped open only to see a look on Ash's face that she had never seen before: pure anger. "W-who?"

"Butch. He managed to escape," Ash said a little bit louder than he wanted to. He stood up and walked around the room as he tried to relieve some anger. "Gary told me he saw him leave when he got you out of the Gym."

Misty's heart skipped a beat. "You've spoken to Gary?"

"Yes," Ash began as he walked back to her. "He told me what happened in the Gym when he went in. How he found you and rescued you and your Pokémon…and how he had saved you from Butch himself."

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Gary?"

"Celadon City County Jail."

"Why was he arrested?"

"It's a long story."

"I'm all ears."

Ash sighed. He sat next to her again. "We're not quite sure why yet, but someone has been trying to kill you."

Misty raised an eyebrow. "You mean Josh Weston? Or Jake Dragon? Or Team Rocket?"

Ash shook his head. "Remember what Jake Dragon did?"

"Yeah, he had his Pikachu shock the hell outta of me and half of the people in the Gym."

"That's right. He was sent by someone, someone he claims has a grudge against you."

"I had never even heard of Jake until then. All I did was defeating him in battle."

"Yes, but he is working for someone else. Her name is Emily Dragon."

"Who is that?"

"We aren't sure. We spoke to Becca Gall, remember her?"

"Yeah. Gary's friend."

"Yeah. She and her husband got attacked by Jake, just days ago. They made it out alive, and she told us that Jake Dragon has a sister named Emily Dragon."

"But I told you I don't know this person! Why does she hate me?"

"We don't know, but Gary and I think that she might have known your parents."

"My parents?"

"Your parents and Jake's parents battled for the possession of the Pokémon Gym…we think that…"

"She battled Daisy," Misty said taking a deep breath. Ash stopped on his tracks and stared at her.

"What?"

"Emily Dragon…she battled our Gym, several times. It took her a long time to get our badge."

"How do you know? I thought you said you didn't know her?"

"I don't, but when I was doing an inventory of claims at the Gym I saw her name. I remember it because I said she had a last name to honor Lance."

"Do you know what she looks like?"

"I can't remember. But her profile must be in the Pokémon trainer database. I'm sure I inputted it there!"

"No one knows where she is but the database must tell me where she is. She must be an active member of the League 'cause Jake must have received that underwater breather from someone in the League. Gary said those are custom made for the League only."

Misty nodded. "Do you have access to the League's Pokémon trainer database?"

"Do you know who I work for? Of course I do!"

Misty could not help to smile. It seemed Gary would not stay in jail for a long time. "Thank you, Ash."

Ash smiled back at her. "Don't thank me yet."

An awkward silence fell upon them. With all this new information, Ash had forgotten about their past and their current state of affairs. For a brief moment while they discussed the facts, Ash felt that he had gone back in time to when she and he were a team. How he missed those days. The days that he would come up with a ridiculous plan, she would mock him for it, but help him with it anyway. Perhaps it was best if he let go of the unsolved issues between them for now. This moment was much more valuable to him than anything else in the world right now. Ash cleared his throat when he realized he had not said a word for a while and had been staring at Misty this whole time.

"Misty, I also need access to that report Gary was going to give to the League."

"Didn't he give you one?"

"His luggage got lost when he went back to the Gym to help you."

"Oh. Well, he never gave me a copy," she said as she briefly remembered how their last conversation had not been the best.

"He said he sent you one via email."

"Oh! I can you give you my info to access it."

"Ok."

Misty looked around and saw a pad and a pen on the small nightstand next to her. She slowly grabbed them both and wrote down the information on a piece of paper. She folded it and gave it to Ash. He grabbed it and placed it in his back pocket. "Misty, I have to go now, but there is something else you have to know."

Misty nodded.

"The Pokémon League has pressed charges against you and Gary. They think you were mentally unstable and wanted to kill the Pokémon. The League also claims that you and Gary had an affair. They got Gary, and when they think you are ready to leave the hospital, they will arrest you too. Don't show much improvement until I get this shit straightened out, ok? Promise me."

Misty nodded to Ash, determination plastered all over her face. "I promise."

Ash slowly walked towards her, leaning over to her face. She did not move but felt her breathing stop when she realized what he was doing. He gave her a small kiss on her cheek, but really close to the edge of her mouth. He waited in that position for a few seconds before he whispered to her. "Wait for me, ok? Don't you dare give up on me!"

Misty smiled. "I won't."

Ash leaned back and gave her a small smile before turning around and heading to the door.

"Ash?"

The sound of his name made him stop, yet he did not turn around to face her.

"Please, take care of Gary for me. I owe him so much."

Ash closed his eyes and felt a small pinch of jealousy embrace his heart. "You're not the only one."

Misty smiled as he saw him disappear behind the door. She took a deep breath as she rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. _"Gary, I hope you're alright."_

Miles away, the boy in question opened his eyes when he heard officers' voices down the hall. There was nothing much to do in jail so he had opted to stay in his cell and catch up with his sleep. The cells had been relatively quiet with most inmates hanging out outside the building, playing hoops or selling their cigarettes to other inmates. The racket got louder as the voices of the officers got closer. Gary tried to ignore them but the screams just got louder and louder. _"What does an incarcerated person have to do to get some sleep 'round here?"_

Gary's curiosity was spiked when he heard one of the inmates yelled at the commotion. "Say hello to the _new_ guy!"

_"Oh shit! Are they talking about me?"_

Gary had not left the cell not only to catch up with sleep, but to avoid conflict. He did not want to get in trouble on his first day. He was glad he had a high tolerance for hunger and had not been forced to go out to get some food yet.

Gary remained still for a few more seconds before he slowly turned around to face the bars. He did not move from his resting position as he heard the yelling getting louder by the second. "I'm telling you it wasn't me! Let me go!"

Gary scoffed. _"I have been saying the same thing, man. They ain't listening."_

"I was framed! I don't work for that guy!"

"Just be quiet!"

Gary saw the officer in the front as he hit the bars of his cell with the baton he was carrying. A second officer showed up, this one holding on to the new inmate. The inmate had light brown hair and brown eyes. While the new inmate did not see Gary, Gary was able to get a good look at his face.

_"Jake."_

Gary smiled. _"At least he won't be able to hurt anyone anymore."_

He turned his back to the outside world as he closed his eyes again. _"Misty, I hope you're alright_."


	6. Memories

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 6: Memories**

Ash Ketchum tapped the steering wheel of his newly rented car as he waited for the red traffic light to turn green. He had returned the rented car he had used a few days ago to get to Cerulean Hospital, flown back to Indigo Plateau, gathered new information, and was now heading back to Cerulean Hospital to see Misty again. He looked to his right to the empty seat next to him, which only held a small briefcase. The contents of this briefcase were of extreme value for him, Misty, Gary and anyone else involved in this mess.

_Ash went back to Indigo Plateau after a few days of being absent. Dawn had not been very happy about his sudden disappearance, but decided to drop the issue when she took a look at Ash. He was tired and had dark circles under his eyes. Dawn eyed him before placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He held back the need to push her hand out of his way, not forgetting what Jake had said about her accomplice status with Emily and Jake Dragon. He could not just let her know right now. This piece of information would prove useful later on, and he did not want to mess up the only chance he would get to use it._

_He placed a hand on hers to provide her some false reassurance, and tried his best to be nice to her. She was the mother of his child, either way, and the baby did not have any fault for the mom's wrongdoings. "How's your mom?"_

_Ash sighed, attempting to sound overdramatic as he lied through his teeth. He shook his head as he played with his one of his pokeballs. "Not good. I'm gonna have to go back after the tournament."_

_"Does Maya know about it? I mean, you're about to become the Pokémon Master."_

_Ash looked up at stared at the board that announced the current status for each trainer. With the amount of battles he had won, there was no way he could lose now. He had waited ten years to obtain what he was about get, and he could not care less about it. "Yeah, I told her. I just gotta be there for her. Ya know? I've neglected her so much, didn't even know she was sick."_

_"What about your Pokémon Master newly assigned duties?"_

_"Maya already gave me the list. I'm gonna work on them while she is asleep."_

_"When are you coming back?"_

_"A week or so."_

_"Ok. Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"_

_"Nah, I don't want you on stressing trips in your condition. It can't be good for your stomach to be off the ground, seeing as keeping your feet on the ground makes you nauseous."_

_Dawn nodded. "I guess this baby will be a troublemaker!"_

_Ash pretended to smile. "Yup."_

_"Ash Ketchum, please report to the field for your last battle."_

_Ash took a deep breath as he gave Dawn a last glance. "See you in a week."_

_"Yup!"_

_Ask Ketchum disappeared behind the curtains of the small waiting room. The battle did not last long, and only a few minutes later, he was named the new Pokémon Master of Kanto._

Right after the tournament had ended he had packed his belongings and had caught a plane to Viridian City. From there he got a cab and went to Pallet Town. He stayed there for a day before renting a car and heading to Cerulean City. He had been on the road for about 12 hours and he was more than ready to call it quit for driving. With his Pokémon Master status, finding information about trainers and the League had been so much easier. He had not counted on the privileges that Maya had given him when he became the new _second-in-command_ for the Pokémon League in Kanto, but he was extremely grateful for them. He had gathered all the information he could from his laptop back in Pallet Town, and was now heading to the hospital to share the information with Misty. He knew that with what she knew, and what Gary and Becca had told him, they would surely come to the bottom of this very soon.

One piece of information that had puzzled him was the fact that the League had obviously changed the report Gary had sent them. He had printed the report Gary had sent Misty via email, and had compared it to the one the League claimed they had received from Gary, and the differences between them had been too many to be true. He wondered if Emily Dragon worked for the administrative or clerical offices of the League, and had purposefully edited the report. The report Gary had sent Misty by email had been sent as a read-only copy, and changes could have not been made. He compared the creation and modification dates for the report the email report, and the report the League had and modifications had been made to the soft copy the League kept. These modifications had been made after the Gym had burned down, and he was sure that Gary had not been the one to make these changes to the report.

_"Maybe it was Jake."_ Gary had mentioned that he had left his belongings in the unwanted company of Jake right after he beat the living crap out of the jerk. It was also possible that Jake had created a new copy of the report and had sent it to the League under Gary's name. Seeing as it was the only copy the League had received, and the report provided them with evidence that Misty was solely responsible for the fire at the Cerulean Gym, the League could have taken the high-road and decided to use it as an escape to the legal actions the crime of arson carried with itself.

_"Or maybe it was Team Rocket."_

Ash shook his head; so many possibilities, so much evidence to back up all of them. "Move, you moron!"

Ash's deep trance was broken by the constant honks behind him. He looked up and realized the lights had finally turned green. He looked back at the driver behind him who was nonchalantly showing him his middle finger. He shook his head and stepped on the gas.

He took a left at the next light and entered the general parking lot of Cerulean Hospital. He parked in the first spot he saw and quickly exited the vehicle, briefcase in hand. He walked to the elevator and pressed the up key. He reached the fourth floor of the building. The hospital had mailed him a special access key that would allow him to visit Misty whenever he pleased. The Cerulean Hospital was honored to help the Pokémon Master, and truly wanted the case to be cleared. The Cerulean Gym had provided the city with a lot of tourism and positive reputation. The last thing they wanted was to be known as the city that lost their Gym.

The elevator doors opened and Ash smiled at the lady who was entering the elevator as he was exiting. He turned to his left and made his way to the door of room 419. He knocked three times and a friendly voice allowed him to come inside. He opened the door and saw her sitting up on her bed. She seemed just a little bit better, though her body was still visible battered. Her bright and honest smile made him smile, and for a moment his mind believed that this was just a visit to Misty after a bad accident that did not relate to the League, Gary or the fact that they were not a couple anymore. "How are we feeling today?"

"A doctor asked me the same question."

"What did ya say?"

"Fine, as long as you bring me some food."

Ash's smile faded. "I'm sorry. I don't have anything…but…I can go get you something."

Misty shook her head. "It's ok. I've been fed."

Ash sighed in relief, hitting himself mentally for losing his grip in front of her. He wanted to show her that he had changed, that he was the Ash she fell in love with, and that she could fall in love with again. Even though his mind knew that their union was impossible now, his heart still longed for the days when they were an item. His heart did not care how much sense his mind made; his heart still wanted the question of love between them to be answered.

"So, I've got some stuff I wanna show you. I need some help making connections here."

"Sure!"

Misty carefully bent her legs to her left side so that Ash had enough room to sit and lay his briefcase. He understood the gesture immediately and in a matter of seconds was sitting on the foot of the bed with plenty of papers scattered all around. He looked for one in particular and handed it to her. "This is a picture of Emily Dragon I got from the database."

Misty grabbed the picture and stared at it attentively. For the life of her she could not recognize this person as being someone who she had ever met before. She placed the picture on her lap and continued to watch Ash as he shuffled the papers he had on the bed. "This is a battle claim that caught my attention," he said as he handed the paper to her. She grabbed it and saw it had been the same claim she had seen back at the Gym. "Yup, this is the one I saw."

"I researched a little bit of what Becca Gall told me; turns out she was right."

He took out a folder and reluctantly handed it to her. She grabbed it and stared at his saddened face. Whatever the folder held, it was something that he was afraid of showing her.

"These…these are news clips…"

Misty opened the folder and read the title of the first news clip _"Tragic Air Accident Claims Lives of Cerulean Gym's Leaders."_

Misty took a deep breath. It had been several years since her parents deaths, heck, she did not even remember their faces that well, but knowing that she did not have her mom or dad to look up to, or ask advice from was something that made any orphan child miss their presence.

"I don't…I didn't know what had happened until I was much older."

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard but…it has to be done. I think it relates to Emily Dragon somehow. Look at the next news clip."

Misty nodded and glanced at a picture of her parents once more before she looked at the news clip underneath her parents'. She read the title out loud and it made her frown.

"Former Gym Leadership Competitors Killed in an Air Crash."

Misty went on to reading the entire article. The article listed the names of the parents of Jake and Emily Dragon. The only relationship between this family and hers was that they had both battled each other to claim the Leader status of Cerulean Gym. "What's important about this?"

"Look at the dates for the accident."

Misty read the official date of the accident for the Dragon Family, and then returned to the news clip of her own family and read their own date of death. "Same day, two years apart."

Ash nodded. "Now read the cause of the accidents."

Misty went back and forth scanning both articles. She took another deep breath and looked up to face Ash. Ash nodded, "mechanical malfunction," he finally said. "Your parents died exactly two years after Jake's parents died, and of the same cause; sounds too coincidental if ya ask me."

Misty nodded. She closed the folder and placed it on top of Emily Dragon's picture. "What else do you have?"

"Well, Jake is a known punk. He got arrested the same day Gary did. So he'll have to talk now."

"Have you seen Gary? Is he ok?"

Ash felt a sting of jealousy show in his face. He scratched his nose to provide a diversion so he could calm down. "I haven't seen him; least not yet."

"Oh."

"Uhm…he…I checked the email he told me about. I compared the two reports, and the one the League has is a fake. Gary had nothing but positive things to say about you and the Gym."

"We worked really hard to rebuild it."

"So it seems."

Misty pretended to be interested in the articles in the folder as Ash pretended to be interested in the reports. The awkward silence grew stronger, making them both feel uncomfortable. Ash knew this was the chance he was waiting for. Either he cleared things up with her now, or he would never do it at all. Ash gathered all the papers on the bed, and Misty handed back the ones she had. Once he had put away the documents, he placed the briefcase down and stared at the window of the room.

"Hey, Mist. Do you remember when I asked you to be my girlfriend?"

Misty was not expecting this question from him. She nodded. How could she forget? That had been the question she had been waiting for him to ask for a long time.

_Misty Waterflower sat on the front porch of Ash Ketchum's home, staring at the stars. Stars like this could not be seen in Cerulean. Pallet Town was such a small place that there were only a few homes, and the rest of the area belonged to the Pokémon. She was excited about the events of the day, and how Ash had been so sweet to her for quite some time now. She had seen a side of Ash she never knew existed, and the thought of Ash falling for her after all these years made her heart jump._

_Ash and company had arrived to Pallet Town to visit Ash's mom before they departed to Indigo Plateau again. Ash had a gut feeling that he would win the Pokémon League's Tournament this year. His heart was beating a thousand miles per hour, and his adrenaline was getting the best of him. The trio would be departing to Indigo Plateau tomorrow morning, but Ash kept tossing and turning unable to go to bed._

_After the millionth attempt to fall asleep he decided he needed some warm milk to do the trick. He stood up and headed to the kitchen. He placed a pot on the stove and poured cold milk on it. He raised the heat to a medium level and decided to step outside._

_He was surprised to see his best friend sitting on the porch, staring at the skies. He walked toward her and remained standing behind her. The glow of the moon fell on her face, making it shine like a rare diamond. He smiled as his heart began racing even faster than before. Tomorrow, the most important season of the year for him would begin. Tonight was the perfect time to let his feelings known to her._

_He took small steps as he approached her left side and sat next to her. She turned to face him and gave him that smile he was so familiar with. He smiled back before looking up to the sky. "It's an amazing night, isn't?"_

"_Yes, it is. These are foreign skies to Cerulean."_

"_Pallet Town has the best skies…and the best trainers."_

"_Yeah, I heard Gary is making it big."_

"_Gary is a researcher, not a trainer."_

_Misty giggled. "I know exactly what you meant. I was trying to make a joke."_

"_I didn't find it funny."_

"_Where's Brock?"_

"_Passed out in the couch."_

_Misty nodded. "Why aren't you passed out?"_

"_I could ask you the same thing."_

"_Just thinking."_

"'_Bout what?"_

_Misty could not help to blush as she looked the other way to avoid Ash's stare. She knew it was not a good thing if he found out what was crossing her mind in such a romantic night._

"_Silly things? What's your story?"_

_It was Ash's turn to blush, though he did not look away. "Ash, is everything ok?"_

_Ash shook his head as he grabbed Misty's hands. "I've been meaning to ask you something."_

_Misty was shaking but tried to look as calm as possible. Ash was never this forward and it worried her, scared her, but excited her at the same time. "What is it?"_

"_I…"_

_A Fearrow had flown above them, interrupting his overly rehearsed speech. He sighed and cursed the animal under his breath. Misty did not even bother to stare at the Pokémon. "You were saying?"_

"_Look, Misty. I…I've been wondering…well…y'know…we've been friends…forever…and, uhm…well…I've been thinking, lately…I mean…if you don't want to, that's fine…ok? So…this is it…but if you're not sure I'll be fine…I guess… right?"_

_Misty stared at Ash, hoping a coherent sentence would come out from him but when he did not speak for several seconds she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't quite get that."_

_Ash scratched his head. He growled and shook his fist in the air with determination. He closed his eyes as he spoke in a trembling voice. "Will you…would you want to…do you want…to be…my…girl…girlf…girlfriend?"_

_Misty blushed as he saw him blush deeply. "Milk…inside…hot…stove…must…check." Ash stood up and walked inside his home in a robotic manner. Misty was left there amazed and confused. She stood up and decided to give Ash a few minutes to calm himself. She began walking and headed for Pallet Town's favorite hill._

Ash smiled at her. "That was very hard to do."

"I know."

"Where did you go that night? I came back and you were gone. I thought I had scared you back to Cerulean."

Misty smiled as she remembered where she had gone. She had not told Ash what had happened that night, since there was no need to bring it up. She had told him that she had just walked around to clear her mind, but something else had definitely happened then that she had not wanted to share with him. She struggled with herself for a little but decided she had to let him know. Nothing was going to change if she did, anyway.

"I guess there is no need to keep it a secret any longer, is there?"

Ash felt uncomfortable again. What could have Misty been hiding from him all these years? Why was her destination a secret to be kept? "Guess not," Ash finally said.

_She walked down the path to the hill. Once she made it there, she rested her back against the lonely tree and relaxed. As soon as she saw someone emerging from the shadows she reached for her pokeball belt in case she needed to summon one of her Pokémon for aid. She strained her eyes to try and identify the stranger that had suddenly appeared out of the middle of nowhere and the corner of nothingness, but not even the bright moon could penetrate the darkness created by the thick summer trees. _

_He greeted her and smiled at the face of relief that bathed her eyes._

_"Isn't this way past your bedtime, Red?"_

_"I was about to ask you the same thing. Don't you have some important research to prepare?"_

_He shrugged and sat next to her, folding his left leg and resting his arm on his knee while his right leg was fully extended and his right hand played with the grass. She folded her legs and wrapped her arms around her knees while resting her chin on them as well._

_"Research? I don't __**do**__ research. Research comes to me."_

_"Oh! Forgive my ignorance great Professor Oak."_

_"You're forgiven, inferior person you."_

_Misty chuckled. "Still an ass, aren't you?"_

_"Still a bitch, aren't you?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Yeah."_

_They remained quiet for a long time, staring at the stars and the bright moon that was slowly gliding on the sky. He pulled out a handful of grass from the ground and then threw it on top of Misty's head._

_"Hey! What the hell did you do that for?"_

_"Bored."_

_"Well, then…touch yourself or something…"_

_"Already did."_

_"GARY!"_

_"Hey! You brought it up!"_

_"FINE! I take it back!"_

_"Fine."_

_"OK."_

_They both sighed._

_"So, what brought you here? Cerulean City is nowhere near."_

_"Ash wanted to come back home before we headed to Indigo Plateau again."_

_"And you're here because…?"_

_"Because I'm his friend."_

_"No. I asked why you're here, on this hill, in the middle of the night."_

_"Oh. Well…I needed time to think."_

_"'Bout what?"_

_Misty blushed._

_"Do you…want to touch yourself?"_

_"Gary…"_

_"Sorry. Don't get mad at me. I came here to think too."_

_"'Bout what?"_

_"I asked first."_

_Misty sighed and stretched her arms and legs before exhaling deeply and allowed her body to completely relax. "Well, your friend sorta asked me to be his girlfriend last night."_

_"Ash?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"And?"_

_"And he wants an answer."_

_"It's expected for a person to answer questions, y'know?"_

_"I know."_

_"And you don't want to?"_

_"I don't know."_

_Gary laughed. "That's the biggest lie I'd heard in the past days."_

_"What? What do __**you**__ know?"_

_"Plenty. Im'ma a researcher, you forget."_

_Misty smiled. "Then analyze this, researcher."_

_"What's it?"_

_"Well, to be honest, I've been waiting for him to feel like this, but it's been so long I don't know if I really want to risk the friendship over this. What if it doesn't work out?"_

_"Why wouldn't it work out? He cares for you a lot, Misty."_

_"Does…he?"_

_"Yeah! We don't talk that much anymore me and Ash, but when we do all he talks about is you, and how wonderful you are."_

_"He…does?"_

_Gary nodded. "Yup! He has told me all of the great things you've done for him; makes me wonder if you're a bitch after all."_

_"Well, he sometimes makes me wonder if you're still an asshole too."_

_"Fair enough."_

_Misty sighed again and then elbowed Gary, reminding him that it was his turn to tell his story. He nodded._

_"I want to quit."_

_"Quit? Research?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Why? You're one of the best researchers I've known!"_

_"I'm not."_

_"You are!"_

_"I don't want to be."_

_"Why?"_

_It was Gary's turn to sigh. "I don't like it as much as I thought I would. And…"_

_"And…?"_

_"And…well, I feel…lonely."_

_"Lonely? Gary, 5000 researchers look up to you and your findings. How do you feel lonely?"_

_"Not __**that**__ kind of lonely."_

_"Oh!"_

_"Yeah…"_

_Misty looked away. Here she was, wondering if she should say yes to a boy she had loved for seven years now, while Gary wanted what she did not know if she really wanted to take._

_"Anyone you have in mind?"_

_"No."_

_"I see. Anyone that could be the one?"_

_"Nope."_

_"Oh. Well, have you tried looking?"_

_"I did…but here aren't that many girls in research…there are plenty of women…but not girls."_

_"True."_

_"Sadly."_

_"And you want to quit because you can't' find a girlfriend?"_

_"That's part of it."_

_"Don't you think that's dumb?"_

_"Says the person who has loved someone for years and wont say yes to him?"_

_"It's not the same. I don't want to lose him."_

_"You won't. He really, really, cares for you."_

_"Says the person who thinks his career is getting in the way of his personal life?"_

_"It is, Misty. It truly is."_

_"Gary, you're a very young guy and look at what you've accomplished! I'm older than you and look where I am: Following a younger guy and his Pikachu."_

_"For a reason."_

_"Perhaps, but you're so good at what you do. Do you really want to give that up?"_

_"I would give it up for someone like you."_

_Misty faced him and was forced to look away when he did not stop staring intensively at her eyes. "Ash is so lucky. He doesn't know what he has. What I have is good for now…but what he has is great for a better and longer-lasting cause."_

_"Gary…"_

_"If you don't say yes to him, you'd have to say yes to me."_

_"Gary…are you ok?"_

_"Yeah, dead serious. Who do you prefer? The hyperactive kid or the desperate playboy?"_

_Misty smirked. "The playboy seems sweet, but the hyperactive kid is who I want."_

_Gary nodded and then stared at the sky before speaking again. "Problem fixed, right?"_

_"And yours?"_

_Gary did not say anything for a second before facing her, pulling her face to him and kissing her. Once the kiss was over, she stared at him with a blank look and he intensively stared at her eyes again. "It's fixed for now."_

_He stood up and smiled down at her. She stood up after him and patted down her clothes._

_"I…should go back…home. Ash is probably waiting for me."_

_"He might not be the only one."_

_Misty stared at him again. "Gary…if this is a joke…"_

_"…it's not funny."_

_She stood there for a few more seconds before turning around and returning home. Ash was waiting for her and welcomed her with a hug. Gary watched them as they went inside the house and thought about her every day from then on._

A second awkward silence fell upon them. Ash would have never imagined that Misty and Gary had met _and_ kissed right before she had said yes to him. A small feeling of betrayal engulfed him for a few seconds but it was later replaced with guilt. Gary had been all alone in his journey, and the one thing he wished for, Ash had. _"I had it and blew it."_

"Do you love him?"

"Do you love Dawn?"

Both former lovers stared at each other, unable to answer either question. Ash did not feel for Dawn what he had felt for Misty. Misty's history with Ash was completely different from her history with Gary. Love was such a vaguely used word. Could either them of really apply it to their lives?

"I care much for Gary, if that's what you mean."

"I can see that. He cares for you a whole lot too."

Ash leaned closer to Misty as he grabbed her hands in his. He placed a little bit of pressure on them but not enough to hurt her. He needed courage to speak the words that were about to come out of his mouth, and feeling her near him had always provided him with that extra nerve to get something done.

"I owe you an explanation."

Misty looked away. "What for?"

Ash did not take his eyes off her. "Misty, please look at me."

Misty reluctantly turned to face him. She swallowed hard when she saw the old-Ash sparkle in his eyes. "For what's worth, I made a mistake; a _huge_ mistake. I know it ain't gonna fix nothing, but I did, and I'm sorry. And, all I can do now is trying to fix something –anything, make it better. I know it'll never be the same. But this time I'll do what is best…for someone else but me."

"You weren't the only one who made a mistake. I handled it all wrong."

"You handled it just right. I was looking for an easy way out. Your home being threatened was just what I needed to use as an escape."

"But, if I had taken care of myself better. If I hadn't been so depressed…"

"You couldn't have taken on Team Rocket all by yourself, you know that."

"But I could have been nicer to Gary and he would have stayed. We could have taken on Team Rocket together and none of this would have happened."

"You weren't nice to him."

"The last couple of weeks, we had arguments about a silly mistake of the past. I couldn't let go of it, and we pretty much ended our friendship. He…he…"

"He what?"

"He accepted a badge from my sister without a battle. Remember?"

"You guys were arguing about that, still?"

"I felt betrayed…again. Gary…he holds a special place in my heart. I should've moved on…and I did…when he…"

"When he what?"

Misty remained silent. She was unable to hold Ash's glance. She slid her hands from his and placed them around her body. "Misty, when he what? Kissed you?"

"He told me he _loved_ me."

Ash looked away again. His hand grabbed onto the handle of the briefcase and he held it with a little bit too much force. His knuckles turned white. He was afraid of this. He had feared Misty had fallen for Gary, but he could not blame her for it as he had been the one to push her away. However, if Gary –his oldest friend, had fallen for her, he had told himself that he would not do anything about it. He could not make himself hate or resent his childhood friend for falling for her. For all he knew, he deserved her more than Ash himself did. He had proven it time and time again.

Ash stood up from her bed and sat on a chair away from her bed. Misty quickly understood what his actions meant. He was going to let her be with him. He was hurt but he had no saying in the matter. He was fathering another girl's baby. He had no right to complain if the two most important people in his life fell in love. He had his shot and he blew it. It was only fair that Gary had his opportunity as well.

"_And he won't blow it, I know that."_

He placed the briefcase on his lap and stared at the floor. Misty laid back and closed her eyes. She was not feeling very healthy all of a sudden.

Ash's mouth became dry, and no amount of saliva was making the feeling go away. He had one more question to ask, and he was afraid of the answer. He felt like he was back in Pallet Town, the night of his birthday party, but that the tables had been turned. He was Misty, getting kicked out of her life, and she was Ash, ready to give the final blow. He swallowed several times and took quick small breaths. It was now or never. He just had to know.

"Do you _love_ him?"

"Ash…I…" Misty began but was interrupted when the door was slammed open. A lonely nurse walked in and apologized when she saw the two youngsters. "I need to give Ms. Waterflower her medication."

Ash smiled at the nurse, trying to ease the tension. "I'm done here for the day. I should be going."

He stood up and grabbed Misty's hand. "See you later."

Misty nodded, without bothering to open her eyes. She did not want to see the pained look in his eyes. She heard the door close behind him and opened her eyes to pay attention to the nurse as she gave her the drugs.

Ash walked at a fast pace, trying his best to get out of the Hospital as quickly as he could. He reached the car and in a matter of seconds he was speeding out of the parking lot. His mind was racing and his eyes were not focused until he saw a sack hit the windshield of his car and then roll down to the street.

He had run over someone.

His mind snapped back to reality as he stopped the car and ran around to help the poor soul that had gotten in his way. _"Great, Pokémon Master kills guy coming out of the hospital. Just perfect!"_

Luckily for him, the man was just disoriented, but had not received a life-threatening impact. He helped the man roll face-up and as soon as he did, Ash's guilt turned into hatred.

The man covered his eyes from the blinding sun as he tried to see the face of his almost-murderer. "I'm gonna sue your ass, you idiot."

"I want to see you try…Butch."

Butch remained stiff for a few seconds, his eyes scanning the place to run of to as soon as he could. Ash's built up anger got the best of him, and hit Butch right on the face with such force that he was knocked out.

Ash looked around him for possible witnesses as he dragged Butch's body to the passenger's seat. He placed him there and strapped him before returning to the driver's seat and speeding his way out of the hospital to Cerulean's Police Station.

He maneuvered as carefully as he could; given the over-the-limit speed he was currently driving, the task was not an easy one. He wanted to reach the police station before Butch would wake up. Butch had been wanted for years for his Pokémon robberies, and Ash wanted to make sure that sexual assault, attempted murder and arson were added to his colorful list of charges.

Ash had called the police and they were expecting him any minute now. Never had he been so grateful that Cerulean city was a relatively small place. After running some stop signs and red lights, he was able to stop right in front of the police station. A couple of officers grabbed a semiconscious Butch as Ash followed closely behind.

A third officer appeared and grabbed onto Butch's face, identifying him as a member of Team Rocket. "Get him in," he finally said.

After Butch had been taken in to custody, the officer asked Ash to come inside. "We need a statement. Where did you find him? We've been looking for him for years!"

"I…ran over him."

"You ran over him?"

"Yeah. I wasn't looking."

"I'm glad you weren't."

The officer led Ash to the station and into his office. He extended his hand to Ash to introduce himself and offered him a seat. "I'm Sergeant Nolly. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ash Ketchum."

Ash nodded and took a seat. "I need your help."

"If helping you helps the case of Ms. Waterflower, we'll be happy to do so."

"Did you identify the bodies that were found in the fire?"

The sergeant nodded. "The two women were Jessie and Cassidy, and the male was James; all members of Team Rocket."

"Jessie was stabbed to death. Cassidy had a broken neck, and James died of intoxication."

The officer narrowed his eyes at Ash as he walked to a file cabinet. He took out one of his many keys and used it to unlock the cabinet. He looked over some files and found the one he was looking for. He pulled it out and placed it in front of Ash. "How do you know that?"

"Misty told me. Misty did not start the fire. Team Rocket did."

"Do you believe her?"

"I do."

The officer took out a cigar and a lighter. He placed the cigar in his mouth and then stared at Ash. "Do you mind?"

Ash shook his head. The officer proceeded to light up his cigar and put away the lighter. "Look, there must be security tapes or something that shows it was Team Rocket setting up the fire. Butch even…had his way with Misty. The hospital has records of it, and I'm sure that if Butch gets sampled, you'll get a match."

The officer leaned over his desk and got as close to Ash as he could. "Are you saying that Ms. Waterflower was sexually assaulted by Butch?"

Ash nodded. "I've got evidence to show that Misty and Gary were incriminated, and that there is a third person involved in this. Your counterparts of Celadon arrested him. His name is Jake Dragon."

"Does the League know you are here?"

Ash lowered his head. "No."

"So, they aren't backing up on this?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure that when they find out the truth, they will."

The officer nodded. "Look, Ketchum. We'll keep a low profile on this, and do the investigations on our own. We won't let the public know just yet. But if there is someone trying to frame Ms. Waterflower, we'll find him. That poor girl has suffered enough. We take care of our own in Cerulean. Her parents were appreciated when they ran that Gym, and they did many things for our city."

Ash nodded. "I know. This brings me to the next question. How much do you know about their accident?"

The officer stood up and walked to the door. "They were heading to Indigo Plateau for a conference at the Pokémon League. They hated flying, but it was an impromptu conference, and they had to get there as soon as possible. They'd been volunteering to rebuild a burned down home and had no time to drive there. It was a small aircraft, they didn't have a chance."

"Do you know the other family that was competing for the Cerulean Gym?"

"Dragons? Yeah! Nice kin, but had bad luck in the last battle."

"What about their accident?"

"They were gonna take over a Gym in the Orange Islands. Their aircraft experienced malfunctions; plummeted into the ocean. We were lucky to find some of their remains."

"Did you ever find it weird that their dates of death and cause were the same?"

"'Course we did! Everyone did! We just figured it was their luck. Their daughter died too."

"What daughter?"

"Emily Dragon; didn't talk much. She took care of the young one, Jake. She died not too long ago."

"Does Jake know?"

"Yeah, he was the one who identified her."

Ash's face was a mix of confusion and disbelief. Why did Jake blame his own sister and claimed he was receiving orders from her through Dawn, if she was dead? How come Becca Gall did not know anything about her death? The more he thought about it, the more he feared he would have to ask Dawn.

"Do you know Becca Gall?"

"Not really."

"She is a Pokémon League Representative. She works in Celadon's Gym. She was assaulted a few days ago by Jake Dragon. She said that they used to go to school together, and that he threatened her to hurt her if she helped Gary."

"Gary Oak was arrested in Celadon, and then Jake just a few hours later. Gary said he had mentioned Jake's name as his accomplice, but Jake claimed he and Gary had nothing in common."

"They don't. Gary just wanted Jake to be arrested. He has been bailed out by someone very single time."

"Jake was a known troublemaker in this city. We liked his parents, but the kid was a jerk."

The phone in the small office rang. The sergeant picked it up.

"Yeah? Yes, take him there. I don't care. We'll be right there. Call the hospital; ask them for samples taken from Ms. Waterflower. Sexual assault. He ain't going nowhere."

The sergeant hung up the phone and then asked Ash to follow him. "We have a very effective way of making people talk 'round here."

Ash smiled inwardly as he followed the Sergeant, heading to the interrogation ward of Cerulean's Police Station. Butch and the officers were about to have a long talk.


	7. Bonds

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 7: Bonds**

May Oak held onto her purse as she walked down the halls of Celadon City's County Jail. Gary Oak had used his only call to contact his sister, and asked her to stop by if possible. He did not want his sister to set foot in such a filthy place, but no one was telling him anything about what was happening outside, and he could not risk calling Ash. Gary had given May the task of learning the status of their situation, and visit him as soon as she found out something about it.

It had taken her three days but she had found enough information to keep Gary sane. With her parents dead, her grandfather house-arrested in Indigo Plateau –unbeknownst to Gary, and Gary kept in Celadon's jail, May did not have much to do but try keeping the last pieces of her family together. She was grateful that she could count on Dehlia, but she knew that remembering that Professor Oak was also behind bars hurt her as much as it hurt herself.

Though May did not spend much time at home as she probably should have, she always worried about her grandfather's wellbeing and sanity. She was glad to see the hints of romance blooming between him and Dehlia Ketchum. If his grandfather was to spend the rest of his life with someone other than his one love that passed away a long time ago, there was no one better for the job than Mrs. Ketchum.

Today was going to be a long day for the Oak and the Ketchum families. May was going to visit Gary for a few minutes until Ash and Dehlia arrived to Celadon's jail. She will then join Dehlia in her trip to Indigo Plateau to see Professor Oak while Ash and Gary had a talk. Apparently, Ash had arranged some kind of secret meeting with Gary to no incriminate either of them some more, and to avoid attention from the media and the League. Ash still believed that whoever had helped Jake before worked for the League and while he figured out who it was, he was not going to let this person known how much they knew about him.

May was instructed to not tell Gary about Ash's visit, and stick to providing whatever information she had for Gary. May saw the entrance to the visitation ward and sighed in relief. The emptiness of the hall made her feel rather uncomfortable. She hoped that Gary would be let go of these premises very soon.

She smiled at the security guard, whose response was to look at her body from bottom to top and give her a lusty smile. She felt goose bumps creeping up on her skin as she turned around and directed her attention at the opening door. _"Dirty lecher."_

With the last bearings of her dignity, May stepped inside the visitations ward where she was welcomed by a wimpy-looking security guard. He asked her who she was visiting and after her response, he told her to go to seat thirteen.

She did as told and hurried up to reach the seat with the instructed number. She sat down and waited a few minutes for Gary to show up. His face brightened up when he saw his sister. May reciprocated with an even wider smile.

Gary placed his hand on the glass wall between them as May mimicked his gesture. He had not ever made it known to her, or anyone else in his family, but he loved his grandfather and sister very much. Even though May was older than he was, he always felt the responsibility of watching over her as if he were the elder of the two. May pretended to complain about his overprotection but deep inside welcomed the signs of affection her brother displayed. Even though one too many guys had been kicked out from May's bedroom back in Pallet Town, she did not resent any of those actions from him. This was Gary's weird way of showing how much he cared for her.

May saw the desperation in Gary's eyes, and wished there were no walls between them. They both picked up the phones on their respective sides and held them close to their ear as they sat down. She just had to break the gloomy atmosphere. She smiled at her cleverness before she spoke.

"I hope she at least gave you a sexual present for doing this for her, you whore."

Gary's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Not everyone sells their body like you do, slut."

"That's not what I heard about you."

"Shut up."

"Ok, I'll shut up and won't tell you shit of what I know."

Gary frowned, pretended to be insulted. "Shows what kind of sister you are. I knew I was better off as an only-child."

"Me too, though I _could_ have been an only-child…"

"I still think you wanted me out of the picture."

"I did…but mom and dad were faster than me."

Gary pretended to scratch his eyebrow with his middle finger while May pretended to scratch her eye with her middle finger as well.

"So, what do you have for me?"

"Well, that depends"

"On what?"

"How much you want to know, and how much you are willing to pay."

"Oh, you _bitch_!"

"Rich bitch, please."

"What are the terms?"

"You know what they are."

Gary sighed as he lifted his hands in the air. "I should've known," he said as he pointed at her. "You know how much I love Jackie!"

"You took it away from me!"

"I was a baby!"

"But it was _my_ teddy!"

Gary growled. "You play a hard game, May Ann Oak."

"And you are in deep shit, Gary Milo Oak."

"I don't have a middle name."

"You want the information?"

"Fine."

May giggled. "So, what ya wanna know?"

Gary's face became serious. Playtime between siblings was over. "How is she?"

"She's ok. Ash said she's slowly recovering. She's talking and all. Wondering how you are."

"Does she know I'm here?"

May nodded. Gary's face fell. "She's doing everything she can to get you out of here; Becca too."

"How is Becca?"

"She is much better. Bryan is out of the hospital. They were both placed on medical leave by Ash."

"Got much power, uh?"

"Nothing is impossible for the Pokémon Master."

Gary smiled. "So, he finally made it."

"Yup."

"I saw Jake's around."

"Courtesy of you, dummy. And, Butch is behind bars too."

"Butch? Team Rocket's Butch?"

"Yeah, Ash ran over him by accident."

"Suuuuure."

"He did! Good thing too! He got confirmed as Misty's attacker. He's going nowhere."

Gary felt a ray hope fall upon him amidst this entire mess. "Any word on who is Emily Dragon."

"Im'ma 'fraid so. She is dead. She was Jake's older sister, but she died."

"What?"

"She had cancer or something. Death certificate confirmed it."

"So, is Jake the mastermind?"

"Everything points to it, but Ash still believes there's someone else pulling the strings."

"I think so too. Jake ain't that smart."

"No, he isn't. Police raided his house and found cocaine and guns, even an ID card that makes him a member of Team Rocket."

"WHAT?"

May nodded as she smiled. "Team Rocket musta been bailing him out. He's done now."

"Has he confessed anything?"

"Not yet. But he will, in time."

"I bet he will."

A security guard approached them and tapped his clock. Time was up. May's eyes filled with tears. Gary gave her a reassuring smile. "It's ok. I'll be right here."

"I know. That's what pains me."

The security guard cleared his throat to show his lack of patience. "I've gotta go."

May hung up the phone as she stood up and gave Gary one final goodbye. Gary hung up his phone and was quickly dragged out of his chair into the back room. As he mindlessly walked down the path to his cell, he recalled how his parents had died. For once in his life, he was happy that his parents were no longer alive. He knew that seeing his son in jail would provide them with nothing more than pain and shame. _"I'm sorry, mom, dad."_

_Gary Oak looked outside his window on his side of the backseat of the car. His older sister, May looked outside her own window on her own side of the backseat. The mountains were so tall and pretty, but were also intimidating to the Oak children._

_Mr. and Mrs. Oak were in the front seats, talking about adult topics that neither kid was interested in. All they knew was that it was the summer time, and that this meant that the Oak family's annual trip was underway. They never knew where they were headed. Their parents always made it to be a surprise. What was it going to be this time? The beach? Camping? Skiing? A deserted island? The forest? They could just never tell until they were already there._

_Gary Oak turned around and poked his sister in her ribs. She made an overdramatic hurt-sound and then poked him back. Gary Oak giggled, and then returned to his attention to the scenery outside. His childhood mind imagined himself climbing up the dreaded mountains around them._

_He turned back to his seat and frowned at his seat belt. He hated using the thing, but he had promised his mama he would not take it off ever again. For some reason, when he unbuckled his belt, his mom would be very sad. Gary could not stand seeing his mama so sad._

_"Mommy? Are we there yet?"_

_"Not for another couple of hours, Gary. Think you can avoid poking your sister for that long?"_

_Gary blushed as he covered his face. "Yes, mommy."_

_He turned to face his sister and mumbled the words tattletale. She replied by sticking out her tongue and then returning her eyes to her side of the car. Gary did the same._

_He saw a few animals that caught his attention at the bottom of the mountain. The car was going uphill now, and he was only able to see them from behind. His seat belt did not allow him to rise up to see more. Gary Oak frowned._

_He looked at his mom and then at the belt. _"Mommy won't notice if I take it off for just a little," _he thought._

_He eyed his dad who had his eyes on the road. His mom was reading a magazine, and his sister was too busy singing some lullaby to herself. This was the perfect opportunity to get a better glance at the bottom of the mountain where the animals he saw were hiding._

_His little hands wrapped around both sides of the belt and slowly pressed on it. He was about to let go of it when he heard his mother scream._

_He left the belt untouched and still buckled as his eyes closed and his little head fell. "I'm sorry, mommy."_

_"God! Jack, the kids!"_

_Gary turned to see the horrified face of his father as he maneuvered the car. One of the animals had run into the highway and while trying to avoid hitting it, Mr. Oak had sent them off course onto the incoming traffic. When he tried to go back to their lane, the sheer speed of the car did not allow him to regain control of the car and they were now sliding down the edge of the cliff._

_"We're gonna die! Gary! May!"_

_"I'm sorry, mommy! I won't take it off ever again!"_

Gary snapped back to reality. The last thing he remembered of that memory was seeing the animals he had tried to see run away from them. For many years he thought that he had been the cause of his parents' death because he tried to disobey his mother and unbuckle his seat belt. It took years of therapy and constant reassurance by his grandfather for him to accept that it had not been his fault.

"Oak, you've got another visitor."

Gary looked up and saw he had been led to another room; a room he had never seen before. He was pushed inside the room. The security guard inside the room grabbed him, turned him around and removed the handcuffs. "This never happened, Oak."

Gary massaged his left wrist with his right hand as he watched the guard disappeared behind the locked door. Gary turned around and looked in front of him. He could help to look surprised at the familiar face. "Took you long enough, Ketchum!"

Ash smiled as he picked up a bag from the floor and placed it on the table in between him and a standing Gary. "I heard you like bacon and cheese burgers."

"Is today _Bribe Gary_ day?"

"Maybe."

Gary smiled as he approached the opposite side of the table and sat on the chair. He eyed the bag of food as the contents made his taste buds scream for a bite. "What are _your_ terms, Ash? I've already sold my soul to the devil, and given my teddy to May."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Gary shook his hand to dismiss his comment. "Never mind."

Ash gave Gary an awkward look as he wondered when Gary Oak had become such an odd guy. "I think you've done enough. You've earned it," Ash finally said.

Gary smiled as he grabbed the bag and began eating to his heart's content. Ash smiled, grateful to be able to provide some comfort to his entrapped friend. If Misty could not be with Ash, he could have not chosen a better guy to entrust her with. "So…what…do you have…for me?" Gary asked in between chews.

Ash sighed and shrugged. "Nothing more than what May already told you. Butch is in Cerulean's jail. Jake is here around somewhere, Misty is healthier. Nothing about Emily Dragon other than becoming worm food."

"Is she really ok?"

"Yeah, asked about you."

"You better be telling her I'm fine."

"I am."

"Ok."

Gary took another bite and washed it down with his drink. He grabbed a napkin and cleaned the grease off his bottom lip as he tried to solve the maze drawn on the bag. Ash bit his lip as he realized that the time had come for him to ask the question he had been holding on to since he had spoken to Misty. He waited for Gary's triumphant smile as he solved the childish game on the bag before speaking up what was on his mind.

"She also told me about your confession to her."

"What confession?"

Ash sighed as he stared at Gary who was too into his burger to pick up on Ash's tone. When Ash did not reply, Gary looked up and saw Ash's knowingly face. He sipped some of his drink and cleared his throat. "What confession?" He asked again.

Ash took a defensive stance by leaning back on his chair and crossing his arms and legs. Gary was not intimidated and he kept eating the last half of his meal. Ash did not know if Gary was honestly not aware of what he was asking, or if he was trying to buy time to come up with a response. With Gary, you just never knew what to expect.

"Gary, do you love her?"

Gary did not dare to look surprised or shocked by his question; he did not like to be caught off-guard, or show he had been nailed. He looked as calmed and composed as ever, instead. He knew this question was going to be asked by Ash someday, and while he had not prepared for it as much as he should have, he knew he could not keep him in the dark any longer.

"Are you gonna take my food away if you dont like the answer?"

Ash chuckled. Did Gary Oak ever not joke?

"Maybe not."

Gary cleaned his mouth with a napkin as he took another sip of his drink to wash down the bite he had just chewed on. He dropped the napkin to the table and rested his elbows on the edge.

"Before you judge me," he began "I want to tell you that I've never felt like this for anyone else, nor I intend for it to happen."

"I'm the last person to be judging you for that."

Gary sighed. He placed his arms on the table as if looking for some kind of physical support. His eyes stared at something that only Gary could see. Ash acknowledged this was the same look he used to have in his eyes whenever talking about Misty was involved. He recalled the many times Gary mocked him for it whenever they had a chance to speak alone. Here he was, the untamable Gary Oak, having a lovesick look on his handsome face.

"She…she is incredible. I…I do love her." He said as he hung his head. "I love her so much that sometimes I hate you because you met her first."

"Go on."

"Sometimes, when I was in the Gym with her and saw her mop around and feel depressed, I wanted to take the closest departing flight to Indigo, and give you a black eye."

"When she told me you guys kissed in Pallet Town, I wanted to do the same thing."

Gary chuckled as he opened his arms. "Well, here I am."

"Gary, stop."

"What? You're too afraid? Is that why you broke her heart? Why you made her feel like shit for six fucking months?"

Ash knew where this was going. While an unspoken truce had been called between them the night he saved his life from certain death in Indigo Plateau, there were many loose ends that needed to be addressed. Perhaps this was the only time, though not the best time, to address them. He knew their friendship would never be broken and could never be lost; but boys will be boys, and some serious pain needed to be used to make things right between them again.

"What the fuck do you know? I had to make a choice. Yes, I made the wrong one, but I can't take it back. 'Sides, you know about bad choices, don't you? Like, say, I don't know, taking a badge without a battle."

"My decision didn't fuck up someone's life."

Ash tried to remain calm as Gary ate the last of his meal. He cleaned up after himself and placed the bag on the floor. He chewed as fast as he could to clear his mouth to speak again.

"Shit, I know you're my friend, you don't hafta say it. But hell, you fucked her up. You really did. And I can't ever be with her because she loves you."

"Is that what this is about? Trying to prove your love to her? Or trying to prove that you are better suited for her?"

"Those six months were enough prove it to her. I'd do anything for her; more than you ever did, at least."

Ash was getting visibly upset. Gary was getting upset as well, but this was the only way he knew how to deal with something that hurt.

"What are you hoping for? That she'll jump into her arms when this is over? When exactly where you planning on telling me how you felt for her?"

"Never."

"What?"

"I knew you were insensitive, but now deaf too?" he said as he pointed to his ears. "Never, because my fucking luck is such that you're my best friend, and before she came into my life, my only fucking friend."

"Is this what you do to your friends? Steal the only woman they ever loved?"

"Psh," he began as he stood up and paced around the room. "Steal? If I could, I would! But guess what? That woman, that…_amazing_ woman…for some stupid ass reason, loves you. I thought she could love me, but she never will. She can't forget the bastard that broke her heart."

"So you _did_ want her for yourself?"

"Why not? You wanted her for yourself too, didn't you? What makes my wants so different than yours?"

"I saw her first."

Gary scoffed and walked towards Ash who was now standing as well. "And I will hate your guts for the rest of my life because you did."

"Is this the thank-you I get for trying to get you out of here?"

"Was leaving her behind in Pallet Town the thank-you she got for following you for ten years of her life?"

"She _chose_ to follow me!"

"I didn't _choose_ to be here!"

"At least I'm trying to redeem myself."

"And what the fuck do you think I'm doing here? I'm here so she doesn't have to."

Not truly realizing was he was doing, Ash pushed off Gary. "I'm just about tired of your whining. If you're gonna do something for someone, do it and be quiet. You don't hafta be reminding the world of the so-called sacrifice you made."

Gary pushed him off as well.

"Why don't you listen to your own advice?"

A moment of silence engulfed the two friends just before their hands went to the other. Gary was slightly taller than Ash, so he grabbed his neck. Ash resorted to punch Gary on his stomach. Gary bent down and turned around. "Fuck, I just ate, dammit."

Ash used this small moment of distraction to tackle down Gary but Gary held his stance as he responded with a punch of his own. Ash held his stomach and took deep breaths. "I had eaten before I got here!"

Gary grabbed Ash by his collar and smashed Ash against the wall. Ash had seen Gary do this to Jake before, but never thought he would get the same treatment by Gary. "If I rot here, you better watch out for her."

"You talk like if I wouldn't."

"For the past year you haven't" Gary said as he pushed Gary onto the wall again. Ash responded by making his right hand into a fist and punched Gary on the chin. Gary growled and let go of Ash. Ash's breathing was fast as he stood up, straightened his clothes, and stared at Gary. Gary held his chin as he yelled in pain.

"Mother…fucker! That hurt!"

Ash approached Gary and stood behind him. "Turn around so I can hit you on the face again." It might have been a fight, but honor between them still remained.

Gary checked if his jaw had not been dislocated and when he was sure he would live, he quickly turned around and grabbed Ash by his shoulders as he hit his stomach twice with his knee.

Ash coughed and whined as he hit the floor; Gary wiped blood from the side of this mouth. "Stings like a bitch, doesn't it?"

Ash rolled to his back and stared at Gary. "I don't know; how does your own blood taste, though?"

"You piece of…"

Gary walked towards Ash but Ash reacted by tangling his legs in between Gary's to make him fall. Gary tripped and his back hit the corner of the table before he fell forward, landing next to Ash.

"I think that one's gonna leave a mark," Ash said with a smile.

Gary nodded as he moved his body so that he was lying on his back. "We're getting old for this."

Gary took another deep breath. "No shit."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dehlia Ketchum and May Oak stood outside the entrance of Indigo Plateau. While Ash had gone inside the secret room to meet with Gary, May had joined Dehlia to drive to Celadon's private plane airport, and boarded a small chopper to get to Indigo Plateau. After a little bit more than hour of being on board, the chopper finally landed on Indigo Plateau's airport. May and Dehlia had been kept in the passenger's lounge for a long time while they were cleared for entrance to the Pokémon League's city. Every since the scandal with Misty and Gary had started, the League was taking extreme security precautions to assure the wellbeing of everyone who lived in Indigo Plateau.

The city was sole property of the Pokémon League in Kanto. People who lived in Indigo Plateau were directly related to the League. Indigo Plateau was a city of Pokémon-loving people who provided some sort of service to the League. Besides the normal findings of a Pokémon Center, Indigo Plateau hosted a Pokémon hospital, a Pokémon breeding store, a Pokémon massage place, a Pokémon clothing store, a Pokémon day spa, etc…

The human-related businesses that were found there served the purpose of providing services to the human-side of the Pokémon style of living: the trainers. Business ranged from barber shops to private schools for the sons and daughters of older researchers that had moved to Indigo Plateau to continue their findings of the Pokémon world.

The annual Pokémon Tournament had just occurred not too long ago, and the city was relatively uneventful at the moment. The souvenirs were still available for the nonexistent tourists –leisure travel to Indigo Plateau had been banned until further notice, and the museums and exhibitions were closed until the League cleared the legal issues with Misty Waterflower and Gary Oak.

Dehlia Ketchum sighed at the scene. This city had been a yearly destination for her son for ten years before he himself became a resident of it. She was very proud of everything that Ash had accomplished so far, but she could not help to miss her son. She loved the small-town living she experienced in Pallet Town, but she always knew that Ash was a too big of a fish for the small tank that was Pallet Town.

"I guess it's the experience every young person must go through before they grow old," she whispered as she recalled how she had spent a big chunk of her life in Saffron City. She had met Ash's father there and had lived the big city life that provided many amenities and luxurious weekend getaways. After a while, and having children in their mind, the Ketchum moved to Pallet Town. A few months later, Ash was born and only a couple of years later, Ash's father Pokémon travel had begun.

His Pokémon passion had started only as a hobby that he acquired when their life turned simple in the small town. As time passed by, he'd gotten more and more obsessed with it until he decided to purse his new on a goal full-time basis. Many nights had passed filled with arguments between Dehlia and her husband about his decision to leave them in the forsaken place he had moved them to, in order to find Pokémon. Many times she asked him to join the renowned Pokémon Professor that lived a few blocks away, but he always said that research was not what he was aiming for.

After many sleepless nights, she finally gave in to his decision, and her husband's Pokémon travels began. She quit her job to raise Ash on her own, and received monthly checks from her husband. He was a great Pokémon trainer and would constantly win many battles. The battles were their only source of income for years, but he did not return ever again to them. He would write letters to them every couple of weeks, then every month, then every few months, then they stopped, and so did the checks. Dehlia was forced to clean homes around the neighborhood to sustain her small family and home.

She became afraid that her husband had died or had gotten so injured that he had forgotten who he was. She reported him to the police and constantly called Pokémon Centers around the region and then around the world, asking if they had seen her husband. Her kind neighbor, Samuel Oak, would always lend her his fax so she could send in pictures of him, and would drive her to the Police Department in Pewter City to make her reports.

She spent countless nights crying over her disappeared husband, and then countless days pretending everything was fine for the sake of her son. Dehlia became even more saddened when her little one would ask about his father, and she could only reply that the life of a Pokémon trainer was a busy and difficult one. _"He'll get back to us, any day now,"_ she used to tell the young Ash.

One night Dehlia arrived home after her last cleaning duty, and saw there was a package at the door. Ash had long gone to bed as it was rather late, so she had decided to stay outside to open the package. She sat on the porch and placed the box on her lap. There was no sender's name and the small paper taped on the top of the box had only her address and name.

She looked around her, wondering if this was some kind of joke. There were not many kids around Pallet Town, and most of them were very well-behaved. Everyone knew everyone, and she knew that everyone knew about their situation. She could not think of someone cruel enough to play a prank on her.

She grabbed the box by the side and peeled off the tape. She bent the flaps and pulled out a double-pocket folder. The folder was wrapped with a rubber band that she quickly rolled up. She opened the folder and saw several documents inside it. The left side of the folder had an envelope attached to it. She unclipped the envelope from the pocket and read the cover of the envelope. "Dehlia Ketchum."

She tore the envelope and slid out the piece of paper. She unfolded it and began reading the contents of the letter.

_"Dear Dehlia,_

_I known you haven't heard much from me in a while, and a letter is probably not the way to break the news to you, but I've got no other choice. I've traveled around the world, looking for strongest and best Pokémon, and have won many tournaments and badges from everywhere. To be honest with you, I love this life. At first I thought I couldn't go on with my dream because I kept thinking back about you and Ash. Time is the best cure for any illness, and time has cured my heart. I will never forget the time we spent together, and will never stop loving my son, but my heart belongs to someone else now. She is a trainer, just like me, and we love doing together what I did alone for so many years. I've come to love her very much, and she loves me too. I'm sending you the last check for you and Ash. I've attached divorce papers. Please sign them and return them to the address printed on the top of them. I'm sorry for making your wait not worthwhile, but I'm sure you'll find someone to share the rest of your life with._

_Goodbye,_

_Greg Ketchum"_

Dehlia's heart still hurt whenever she remembered that night. She had spent the rest of the night crying over the package, and blaming her self for what had happened. She believed that if she had been more understanding of his needs, if she had shared the same passion for Pokémon that he had, they would have remained together until old age. And now, all she had left from that marriage was a check, divorce papers, and memories that would remain with her until the day she died.

She had ended up destroying the check, and had gone to weekend school to become an accountant. She would leave Ash with Professor Oak as Gary and Ash had become close friends. Once she finished her career, she began working from home and became the official part-time accountant of many major companies in Saffron and Celadon. Ash had grown to be the man he was, and never knew that his father had started all-over someplace else. Ash never knew his parents were divorced until last night.

_Ash lifted the small luggage onto the back of the car. He did not know how long would his mom stay in Indigo Plateau in order to talk to Professor Oak, but she had not wanted to be caught not ready. Ash started the car as his mother checked the locks of the house one last time, and gave a hug to Mr. Mime. A teary-eyed Mr. Mime waved goodbye to the Ketchum family as they drove off, heading to Celadon City to catch a plane._

_Ash kept his eyes on the road as Dehlia looked back to see her home through the side mirror until it was nowhere to be seen. She sighed when the familiar roads of Pallet Town disappeared and she was left to admire new roads. She had not left Pallet Town in years, and had not gone to Celadon in forever. She wondered how much the cities had changed since she was last there. Time waits for no one, and certainly not for her._

_The silence made her mind wander off and she was hit with the realization that she had not had a real conversation with Ash in a long time. Her own son was to become a father very soon, and the fear of history repeating began to hit her. She knew she had no saying in the decisions her son made, but she could always provide more information so that he could make a good decision rather than the long list of bad ones he had been known to make in the last months._

_She cleared her throat to gather his attention, and decided it was the best time to let him know about his father. She hoped in her heart that he would not hate her for keeping the lie for so long, and that he would understand what parents must do sometimes to protect their children. She took a deep breath and looked at the road ahead as she spoke. "Ash, how is Dawn?"_

_Ash refrained himself from frowning. He had not seen a lot of her lately, and for that he was grateful. Butch had confirmed that Dawn used to be involved with Jake, and that she was the link between Jake and the person who held a grudge against Misty. Regardless of all this, she was still his bride-to-be, and mother of his future son._

_"She's ok…as ok as a woman can be when she is pregnant, that is."_

_Dehlia nodded. "I would know that, you would keep me up all night when you were just a baby. Get ready for long nights of crying!"_

_"Lovely, thank you for the support, mom."_

_Dehlia giggled. "Are you ready to be a father, Ash?"_

_Ash gave her question a little bit of thought. All his mind was able to understand was that he was going to have a baby, but the idea of fatherhood had not quiet sunk yet He raised his eyebrows before taking a deep breath and admitting defeat. "I don't know. It hasn't hit me yet, you know?"_

"_That's the way it always is. You never know what you got yourself into until the little one is here with you."_

_"How long did it take dad to become a father?"_

_"A long, long, long, time."_

_"You know, now that I'm a Pokémon Master and have access to the League's database, I've been trying to track down dad. It's been a while since we've heard of him, and I wanted to know just where he went."_

_Dehlia bit her lip. She looked outside her window and sighed. "There is no need for that, Ash. I think we've made out peace with him, and we're better off without him."_

_"I want my kid to know his granddad."_

_"Then perhaps you should introduce him to Samuel."_

_"Professor Oak is not his real granddad."_

_"But he might be."_

_"What?"_

_"Samuel asked me to marry him and I accepted."_

_Ash frowned. "When did this happen, and why didn't you tell me?"_

_"The day you arrived to Pallet Town with Gary. And I had not had the chance to tell you, with all this commotion."_

_"You could've least told me you guys were dating. Just because dad is gone it doesn't mean you can go off and do whatever you want."_

_It was Dehlia's time to frown. "Aren't you the one to speak? I found out Dawn was pregnant by the news, not you!"_

_"That's different; she hadn't told me she was pregnant until days before the media found out."_

_"You could've at least told me you guys were dating. Just because you don't live under my roof anymore, it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."_

_Ash growled. "Are you trying to switch this around?"_

_"No, I'm trying to tell you something."_

_"What?"_

_"I'm trying to tell you that while I respect your decision to break it off with Misty, getting Dawn pregnant was neither the best option nor the only option you had to forget about her. You are traveling the same path your father did, and I don't want you to end up being like him."_

_"What's wrong with that?"_

_"Your father left us, Ash."_

_"He didn't leave us. He is just catching more Pokémon."_

_"No, Ash. Your father and I have been divorced for years."_

_"W-what?"_

_"Your father sent me divorce papers by the mail. He sent me a letter saying her was starting over his life with someone else. We got divorced when you were six."_

_Ash could not find any words to say. He had been lied to do for fourteen years. He had been waiting for a man that would never return. He had been played on for almost his entire life._

_He opened his mouth to say something he would soon regret, but he stopped. His mind began thinking about his mother rather himself. His knuckles turned white as he held onto the steering wheel a little bit harder than he should. His mother had been left with the burden of raising a child on her own. Was that why she had gone back to school? He could not count the times he had spent weekends at Gary's house while she was away. He was stupid enough to think she was trying to leave him behind, but she was actually trying to make a living for the both of them._

_How many times did he get upset at her for not buying him that toy or that candy? He did not know she was struggling to keep them afloat. He grew up believing everything was fine, and that he still had a father somewhere. He had grown up surrounded by lies that his mother had created to give him a better view of the world._

_He cracked his knuckles and took deep breaths. He wanted to be upset, he wanted to be mad at his mother for keeping this secret for many years, but he just could not. Everything that she had said and done as he grew up began making sense to him. All the sacrifices she had made for him were stinging his heart. She had gone through so much, and he had never known._

_"Do you love him, mom? Professor Oak?"_

_Dehlia Ketchum smiled as she lifted her open palm and placed it on her chest. "More than I ever loved your father, sorry to say._

_"Can't blame ya."_

_"How about you?" she asked after a while. "Do you love Dawn?"_

_Ash shook his head. "I tried, but Misty is the one I still love."_

_Dehlia felt tears reach her eyes. It pained her to see her son like this. She always knew that Misty loved Ash, and that Ash would one day realize that he loved her too. She had been very happy to learn that Ash had finally told her, and that they were dating. But now, with a baby on the way, she doubted that Ash and Misty would ever be together again._

_"I guess Gary will do a better job than me."_

_Dehlia gave him a weak smile._

_"How is he?"_

_"He's ok. Im'ma see him while you and May head to Indigo Plateau."_

_"Are you coming to Indigo Plateau?"_

_"Yeah, I'm just gonna go see Misty and I'll return. Be there by tomorrow, I'm sure."_

_Another moment of silence surrounded them. Ash read the sign that told him that Celadon City was fifty miles away. He then turned to his mother and spoke._

_"Mom?"_

_"Yes, Ash?"_

_"I-I'm sorry…for yelling…getting mad at you."_

_Dehlia shook her head. "You had every right to. I should have told you much earlier."_

_"You were just trying to protect me."_

_"I was."_

_"And mom?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Next time you get engaged, please tell me."_

_Dehlia smiled. "I hope this is the one that sticks."_

May's voice calling Dehlia's name brought her back to reality. She looked down at the girl who had a face of concern. "I'm sorry, May. I dazed off."

"It's ok," she began. "We are clear to go see my grandpa."

Dehlia nodded as she followed the young Oak inside the headquarters of the Pokémon League.

---------------------------------------------

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! A special thank-you goes to Saya56 for reviewing the last chapter. This story has not received many reviews, making me wonder how many people are really interested in it. Like I told Saya56, if one person is still interested in finding out how this will end, I will keep writing it. Three more chapters and it will be over! Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this story!


	8. Truth be Told

**WARNING: This is the ASH and MISTY version of the sequel. If you want the GARY and MISTY version, please read OUTLAW.**

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 8: Truth Be Told**

Ash stretched himself on his bed, careful not to bother a still sleeping Dawn. As it was custom, she had thrown up until the wee hours of the morning and had passed out on the bed. He turned to his right to see the clock on his nightstand. He had been asleep for only four hours; it was five in the morning.

Ash knew that it was going to be impossible to go back to sleep, and decided to get up and head to the kitchen. The last thing he had eaten was the burger he had at the joint before getting one for Gary. His stomach was upset to be so lowly mistreated and was not going to be quiet or still until it was properly fed again.

He stood up and after sliding his feet inside his slippers, he walked around the bed to head out of the room. He carefully shut the door and walked down the hall heading to the kitchen. The hall was darker than he expected, but he should have thought about it before as the halls had no windows. He slid his hand along the wall to find the opening on the right that would take him to the same kitchen he had been days ago when he found out about the burn down of the Cerulean Gym.

He finally found the hole where a door should be and allowed his hand to find the light switch. As soon as he turned on the light, and familiar face lifted her head from the kitchen counter and was not quick enough to dry some tears. "Mom?"

Dehlia tried her best to smile as she saw her son approach her. "Mom, are you ok?"

Dehlia nodded. Ash stood in front of her, on the other side of the kitchen counter. He placed a hand on her shoulder and used his other one to force Dehlia to look at him. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Dehlia shook her head. Seeing Samuel last night had brought nothing but tears to her eyes. She remembered how Ash's current face of worry was the same face Samuel Oak had given her last night.

_May was the first one to go inside the room where Samuel was kept. He was not allowed to leave the room; food was brought to him, and a small bathroom was embedded in the room. While he counted on more fancy quarters than the ones Gary was living in at the moment, being stuck in a room, not able to speak to anyone or have any form of communication with the outside world was killing him._

_A League officer lead May to the door and unlocked it. She walked in and as soon as she did, he closed the door behind her. She heard the locks being placed, but she did not care. She knew that the League was wrong, and that they had no just trapped her in a room with a serial killer._

_Samuel Oak was sitting on a chair, looking at the floor. He had noticed that the door had been opened, but he had not noticed that his granddaughter had walked in. "Just leave the tray on the bed," he said._

_May felt her heart cringe; how monotonous had his life become in just a matter of weeks?_

_She took another step and spoke. "Grandpa?"_

_Samuel lifted his eyes. Were his ears tricking him? Had he just heard May's voice?_

_"Grandpa, it's me, your favorite grandchild."_

_May could not help to smile as she brought up the sibling rivalry as a means to get him to look at her. Samuel stood up and walked to her. "May, it's you!"_

_May nodded as she ran to her grandfather and gave him a big hug that he quickly returned. "I've missed you, grandpa."_

_Samuel tightened his grip on her to show her he had missed her too. "Are you ok?"_

_May nodded again, not wanting to break the embrace. For the second time in twenty-four hours, she regretted spending so much time away from her home. All those nights of partying and long dates had not been worth leaving her grandpa and brother. She promised herself that when the both of them were out of this mess, she would spend as much time as possible around the house, and close to them._

_The two Oak's broke the embrace and sat on the edge of the bed. Samuel looked like he had not slept well in days and like he had not eaten well either. She looked at the food tray that had been left on the coffee table on the other side of the room. It was almost night outside the League's HQ. She hoped that his dinner tray was not too cold._

_"Grandpa, if you eat that dinner over there, I'll give you the surprise I brought you."_

_"You mean there's more than my little girl visiting me?"_

_May nodded. "Much more."_

_Truth be told, Samuel was not that hungry, but he knew that his granddaughter could ask him anything she wanted, and he would soon comply. It was times like these that he felt sorry for his own departed son, who was not going to be able to see his daughter grow up to become a woman. There was nothing more prideful to a man who had raised a little girl to become a lady, than to give her away in her wedding day. He knew his son would not have the chance to do that, or to be called grandpa like he was called._

_May watched her grandfather chow down as much food as he could. As he busied himself with the food tray in front of him, she looked around the room he was locked in. The room he had been given was one of the less elegant ones, but it was still pretty well decorated. There was a bed, a recliner, a coffee table, a closet, and a table that she believed it had been the place where the television stood. There was no phone either, and the only window had been boarded from the outside. There were not any visible calendars or clocks around, so there was no way for him to know what happened outside or what time of the day it was._

_She could not imagine herself locked up in a room like this._

_"So, how did you manage to get here, May?"_

_May returned her stare to her grandfather. The food tray was now empty. He had earned the right to ask questions._

_"Ash arranged for us to come visit you."_

_"Us? Is Gary outside?"_

_May's head fell. "Gary…h-he…he got arrested."_

_Samuel's stomach confirmed that eating that food so fast when he was not hungry at all was not going to be a good idea. "He's ok. I saw him before coming here."_

_"Is he, really?"_

_"Yup. Ash saw him too."_

_"So, who is the other person that makes you an 'us'?"_

_"Your…fiancée."_

_Samuel could not help to feel like a teenager again. "She's here?"_

_May nodded. "She has to wait her turn, though."_

_Samuel smiled. "How was Ash able to do this? I was told I couldn't have any visitors."_

_"He is the Pokémon Master."_

_Samuel smile got wider. "Ash became the Pokémon Master?"_

_"Like there was any doubt about that."_

_"I guess not."_

_"Well," May began as she stood up from the bed and gave her grandfather a big hug. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok and that you ate. I better leave so Dehlia can come in here."_

_Samuel was saddened to see her leave, but he was anxious to see his future bride-to-be. He returned the embrace and watched as May knocked on the door. The door opened and she exited as quickly as she could. The door closed again. Once outside, she allowed her tears to run freely. Dehlia flinched._

_"Is he hurt," Dehlia asked._

_"No. But I had to tell him that Gary was arrested."_

_"How did he take it?"_

_"Better than I thought, but I think he really needs to see you."_

_Dehlia nodded. The League officer opened the door once again and allowed Dehlia to go inside. The door was locked behind her. She stared at Samuel who was now standing up and slowly walking to her. She smiled amidst her tears. She extended her arms and placed them around his neck. He surrounded her waist with his arms. "I'm ok. Don't cry."_

_Dehlia's tears increased at hearing his voice. The last time she had seen him was saying goodbye to him from her home as he headed back to his. She had not known that the League was going to arrest him as soon as their meeting ended, otherwise she would have never let him go. She held on to him for dear life, missing his warmth and embrace. _

_Once her husband had asked for a divorce, she was certain that she could never love again. Ash's father had been her first and only love, and all her efforts had gone down the drain. It took her years to understand that she had not done anything wrong for him to choose to cheat on her and leave. Samuel Oak was much older than her, and he had gone through the loss of his wife, and his son and daughter-in-law all too close together, and yet he took on the responsibility of taking care of his grandchildren and raising them as best as he could. It had been his courage to face the world after so many tragedies that attracted her to him. He had a will to survive that she envied and needed from him right now._

"_I've missed you so much."_

"_Me too." Samuel replied._

_He had mourned his late wife for years before he met Dehlia Ketchum. He had felt sorry for her seeing her luck, and had unofficial taken on the task of helping her anytime she needed. He knew she was stronger than she thought she was, taking on her single-mother status with such grace. He saw her walk to her home many times after finishing cleaning up homes. In one of those occasions he had given her a ride home as he was coming back from Pewter City. On the drive to her home, he mentioned the new weekend school that had just opened in Pewter City, as he attempted to spark her interest. He had told her it was a great opportunity for adults who had other responsibilities as it was designed to fir their schedule. He had offered his home for Ash to spend the weekends in as she studied and went to classes. He had been able to see she wanted to get some sort of education that would get her out of cleaning duties. Once they had arrived to her home, he had given her the keys to his car. He told her that walking to Pewter City at night was dangerous, and that no respectable lady should have to walk alone. She was ready to decline his kindness, but he was already on his way back home._

_A few days after that, he saw her with books in her hands. Ash's weekend visits became the norm, and his grandson made a friend. The graduation ceremony had been small but significant. He had been very proud to see her walk down that stage and receive her accounting degree._

_Their friendship become more solid as time went by and his visits did not require a reason after a while. A cup of coffee or a need for a conversation was enough reasons to be welcomed into her home. When Ash left for Pokémon training, his visits increased. He had not realized when he had opened up his heart to her, but it had been so subtle that had he not been there himself that night, he would have surely missed the spark that existed between them._

_Brock had finished cleaning up and had passed out on his bed in Ash's room. Ash and Misty had taken a walk from which the adults did not believe they would return soon, and Gary had disappeared from cleaning duty without finishing the job. Ash's birthday party had been better than she had expected, but his attempts to break his shell had been fruitless. Ash had been acting weird for months now, and neither of them could figure out why. The house was calm and empty of the guests. Samuel headed to the kitchen and shook his head to Dehlia who was finishing cleaning the last of the dishes that been used._

_He remembered how she had been sad to know that Ash had not provided any insight as to why he was acting this way, and it had broken his heart. This woman in front of him had suffered enough, and it was unfair in his eyes that the son she had sacrificed for so many days and nights was repaying her with this attitude. He wanted to scold Ash but he knew it was not his place to do so._

_That night was the night he realized that this woman in front of him was the owner of his life and heart. She had been crying, he could tell, and he approached her. He knew she felt like a failure, and he could not help to feel upset at the whole situation. Dehlia Ketchum was far from being a failure. She had to be told this, and he was definitely going to play the part._

_A few words and an innocent embrace ended under the covers of her bed. It was then that the two 'old-timers' jumped into the opportunity of being 'young and in love' again._

"Is he going to be alright, Ash?"

"He has a reason to eat now," he tried to joke "that's why I asked Maya to let you stay here."

"I'm grateful for that, son."

Ash patted his mom's head as he looked at the stove. He had to change the conversation for his mother's sake. "Are you hungry? I am."

She was not really hungry, but making an early breakfast for her son was a privilege a mother would always take. She smiled at him as she headed for the refrigerator. She had not seen much of the rest of the League's HQ but what she had seen had impressed her. The living quarters of the League were very luxurious and lacked nothing. It was no wonder that Ash spent so much time around here.

She took out eggs, ham, milk, cheese, and butter. She took down a pan from the hanging kitchen set and stared at Ash. "How does an omelet sound?"

"Sounds great!"

Ash turned on the television and looked for the news channel. Re-runs of last night's news were being aired. He paid no attention to the news as he just wanted some sort of background noise to accompany them. Dehlia busied herself with the making of the breakfast as Ash heard the newspaper being dropped on the mailbox in the kitchen by intermail. Everyday a newspaper delivery truck would arrive to the front of the League's Headquarters. They would deliver the newspaper to the front office, and the front office would use their internal mail system to delivery the paper to every kitchen in the building. The system was taken from the drive-thru systems used in banks. If it was not for the Pokémon Tournaments, the residents of HQ would have no need to step outside.

Ash grabbed the newspaper and began reading it. The front page was dedicated to the League and their current situation. Several articles talked about Professor Oak and the elder Waterflower sisters continued to be house-arrested, Gary Oak being imprisoned, and Butch from Team Rocket being arrested for sexually assaulting Misty Waterflower.

Ash growled. _"Great, now the world knows Misty got raped."_

He continued reading everything the paper said about the League, but he was not able to find anything about Jake. It was as if the media did not care about him, or did not believe he was linked to the crimes that had been committed against the former Leaders of the Cerulean Gym.

"Reading the newspaper is not the way to start a good day, Ash."

Ash looked up and saw his boss standing at the entrance of the kitchen. She had her hair blue hair held back in a pony tail, and was wearing a robe. Her feet were covered by socks; her left hand held a cup of coffee and her right hand held a copy of the same newspaper he was reading. Dehlia stopped her cooking for a brief moment to stare at the new incomer. She looked familiar but she could not pinpoint who she was.

"I'll say, bunch of overly changed information printed on here."

Maya sighed before taking another sip of her coffee. She walked inside the kitchen and sat across from Ash. She placed her cup and her newspaper on the kitchen island as she turned around and smiled at Dehlia. "You must be Ash's mom. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Maya Amherst."

Dehlia's eyes widened. Maya Amherst was so…young…compared to her that was.

Dehlia and Maya exchanged a handshake. "Wow, Ms. Amherst, it is such a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here; I'd been dying to meet the mother of such a fine young man."

Dehlia blushed. "I did what I could."

Maya chuckled. "I can't imagine what would have happened if you would have done more."

"I would have had a girl," Dehlia joked.

"HEY!" Ash protested from behind. Maya winked at Dehlia in agreement as she returned to her spot around the island. "What brings you here this early?"

"I couldn't sleep after Dawn threw up her intestines."

Maya gave Ash an apologetic smile. "Well, I followed the smell of food."

Dehlia understood what Maya had meant and quickly went to the fridge to get more eggs and cheese. "Do you like it with or without ham, Ms. Amherst?"

"With ham, and please, call me Maya.

Dehlia nodded as she began preparing an omelet for the Pokémon President and Pokémon Master. She never imagined she would be preparing breakfast for such important people, and that one of the titles would be held by her own son.

"How is Samuel doing? Is he eating now?"

"Brought him a reason to," he said as he pointed to Dehlia with his chin. Maya mouthed the words "oh," as she turned to face Dehlia.

"Ma'am, I hope there are no hard feelings. I'm sure of Samuel's innocence, but we've got to follow the protocol."

Dehlia nodded. "You've got no idea how much better that makes me feel."

Maya smiled and returned to face Ash. "Ash, I need you to go to Cerulean Hospital tonight."

Ash felt his stomach churn. "How come?"

"I need you to supervise the move of Misty Waterflower to this facility. I want her to be house-arrested here as well. I don't want the outside media to be watching our every move."

Ash nodded. "How about Butch?"

"That idiot can rot in jail for a few more days. I've got no interest in what happens to him. I'll let the law deal with him."

"And Gary?"

"He will be moved to this facility as well. I'm sending Dawn to do that at the same time I'm sending you to Cerulean."

Ash wanted to ask about Jake, but he knew that if he mentioned him, the word could spread from Maya's mouth to Dawn. He still had to ask her about him, and perhaps tonight would be the best time to do so.

Dehlia could not help to smile. Even if they were still under investigation, Gary and Misty would be moved closer to them, and away from the four walls that kept them away from everyone else. She knew that this news would make Samuel very happy, and Ash more motivated to help them find the person who was really responsible for this.

Dehlia finished their breakfast and they all ate in silence. When Maya was done she thanked Dehlia for the food as she stood up. "We have a meeting in an hour, Ash. I'll see you in my office; I need to take a shower."

Ash nodded, his mouth still full of a piece of omelet. He watched as Maya disappeared from the room and switched his eyes to his mom who had a bright smile on her face. "I think this will get fixed very soon, Ash."

Ash swallowed his last piece of omelet and washed it down with milk. He wiped his mouth with the back of his mouth only to be given the evil glare by his mother. "Sorry."

"I really liked her, Ash."

"Maya? Yeah, she's cool."

"I think you should tell her what you know. I'm sure she wants the League to be innocent. It's in her best interest."

Ash wiped the back of his hand on his pajama pants as he considered his mom's suggestion. Maya had been only following protocol like she had said, and if she really wanted it, she would have sent them all to jail by now. Perhaps his mother was right and Maya did want the League and its members to come out clean from this mess. She always said she wanted the League of Kanto to be recognized worldwide.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt."

Ash helped his mother with the dishes before running down the hall to his room. Dawn was already showered and getting ready to face the day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ash walked inside Maya's office with his information-filled briefcase. He had decided to tell Maya about his findings, and ask for support from the League to find out who was the one trying to make them look so bad. He knew that Maya had keeping the hard-earned good reputation of the League intact, and would do anything in her power to make sure names were cleared and cleaned. He had felt insecure about sharing this information with her because of Dawn, but he figured that if heads had to roll, he much rather it be one guilty head than six innocent ones.

He sat on the chair in front of Maya as she raised her head and gave him her undivided attention. He opened the briefcase and took a quick peek inside. He then looked up at Maya with a face that made her frown.

"What's the matter, Ash? You seem like you're about to tell me you're quitting on me."

Ash shook his head as he organized his thoughts. How would he even begin? How was a smart way of brining the issues up?

He took a deep breath as he took out the same folder that he had shared with Misty. He closed the briefcase and placed it on the floor. "Maya, I need to tell you something, and I need you to be as open-minded as possible until I am done."

"Ok."

Ash could feel his hands shaking as he opened the folder. He felt a great deal of respect for this woman, and the last thing he had wanted to do was to insult her intelligence or deceive her. "I think someone staged everything we know about Gary and Misty's case to incriminate them."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows as she leaned in closer to Ash, showing him she was listening. Ash nodded as he continued.

"Look, I know that you'll probably think I'm being biased and all, because Gary is my best friend and Misty used to be my girlfriend, but I think I got enough evidence to show you they are innocent."

"I trust you, Ash."

Feeling a little boost of confidence, Ash continued. "Ok. Uhm…how do I start this? Well, so, I look at the files the fire and police departments had about the Cerulean Gym fire," he began as he took out a copy of the reports. "Three people were taken out of the fire; two were dead, and one was dying. The two people that were dead were Cassidy and Jessie, from Team Rocket. The person who was dying was James, from Team Rocket as well. James told the police that there were four people inside. The fourth person wasn't Misty; the fourth person was Butch, Cassidy's partner. He was arrested a few days ago for raping Misty."

Maya was not impressed. She herself had read the statements from the police and been initially inclined to believe that Misty had set up the fire before Team Rocket arrived based on the supposed affair that had ended between Gary and Misty, but she wanted to keep an open mind.

"Anyway, I think there is sufficient evidence to say that neither Misty nor Gary started the fire, since Gary arrived there much later, and Misty was locked up inside."

"Ok."

"Now, the part that disturbs me is this one," he said as he took out Jake's police record.

"On his way here, Gary got in a fight with the last person that had battled Misty, the one who used his Pikachu with the underwater breather. Gary said that the underwater breathers were not accessible to non-members of the League, implying that someone within the League had to have given him one. He also said that Jake had said that he had been sent by someone. He said this person's name was Emily Dragon."

"But, we don't have anyone in the League by that name."

"No, we don't, but we did. Emily Dragon is registered as Jake's older sister. She died a few years ago, but James claims that he still receives orders from her from someone in the League. He said this person was…Dawn."

"Dawn? Dawn Hall? Your fiancée Dawn Hall?"

Maya rubbed her temples.

"Ok, so you're saying that you spoke to Gary, _without_ telling me, by the way." Ash visibly flinched at his. "And to this Jake person, and that he told you that a dead person has an issue with the League and that his connection to us is Dawn? Our Dawn? I'm sorry, Ash, but this is difficult to believe!"

"I know! I didn't believe it either, though the issue is more against Misty. I also spoke to Becca Gall…"

"Our representative in Celadon?"

"Yes, and she knows Jake, personally. They went to school together. Anyway, Becca reported that Jake had attacked and threatened her to take her life if she helped Gary with this issue. Somehow, Jake got bailed out and was out in the streets until recently."

"Yes, I heard he got arrested in Celadon because Gary said he worked with him. Did Gary really work with him?"

"No, he was just tired of all the crimes Jake had committed and had gotten away with."

"I see. How about Dawn?"

Ash shook his head. "I haven't been able to ask her anything. I don't want to insult her –if this isn't true, but I also don't want to scare her off –if she _is_ responsible."

"Makes sense, I guess."

"I know it's a lot, but you've got to believe me, or at least give this information a try."

"Ash, you realize you are asking me to ask the police to trial a woman that died who knows how long ago?"

"At least Jake; he can tell us who really is behind this."

"I guess we can try that."

Ash gave her a weak smile. "Don't diss it just yet, please."

"I won't, but I don't promise anything. I'll talk to Gary and Misty when they get here, and then have the police ask Butch and this Jake person, ok?"

"And Dawn?"

"Leave Dawn to me."

Ash tried his best to hide an accomplished smile, but his eyes showed his feeling of achievement. He took back his folder and placed it back in the briefcase. Maya took this as a sign that he was done with this part of the meeting, and that she could begin with hers.

"So, I want you to be very careful with this transfer. Find out her condition and have the doctors prep her. Make sure you bring a copy of her medical records, especially those that confirm Butch attacked her so we can nail him with that."

Ash nodded.

"Call the Hospital and advance, and tell them the transfer will take place at night. We don't want the press to be stalking us in one of their choppers."

"What do I do when we get here?"

"Have her stay in room 315. Make sure accommodations are made in that room to fit her medical needs. You may want to go early so you can make phone calls back here and have everything ready upon her arrival."

Ash nodded again. "Got it. Anything else?"

Maya shook her head. "Ask Dawn to come by office right now. I have special instructions for her since she is transferring someone from jail to here. The protocol is different and more complex."

"I could trade with her and get Gary instead."

"That won't be necessary. As much as I hate sending a pregnant woman to a jail, it's part of her job description. Besides, I think Misty would be more open to be transferred here if you are the one to bring her."

"Good point."

Ash stood up and bowed to Maya before heading to the door. He turned the knob on the door and was heading out, but the sound of his voice stopped him.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Ash, don't let your feelings for her get the best of you. Regardless of your history together, you've got to maintain a professional demeanor, for the sake of the League."

Ash nodded before he walked out and headed to his room.

When he walked pass the kitchen, he saw Dawn having cereal for breakfast. She really didn't eat well for her condition, but whenever he brought it up, she would get really mad at him, and the conversations would usually end in an ugly fight.

He stood at the door, staring at her as she read the newspaper. She had a deep frown on her face.

"Dawn?"

She immediately recognized the voice and turned to the door. She did not say anything further, waiting for Ash to say the first word. "Maya needs you in her office."

"Ok," she said as she continued eating.

Ash sighed inwardly at her attitude. Just because she had not won the title of Pokémon Master, it did not mean she could just ignore her boss like this. "It's kinda of an emergency; she needs you now."

Dawn nodded, her attitude or sense of urgency not changing one bit. Ash shook his head and left the kitchen. He arrived to his room only to grab his wallet and other personal belongings he was sure to need. He had a long day ahead of him. He stopped by his mother's room to tell her goodbye before he headed to the roof of HQ to fly to Cerulean's Hospital.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn Hall arrived at Celadon City County Jail after a long talk with Maya. She hated being stuck with the dirty job, and had asked her to switch jobs with Ash several times, but she had refused. She hated setting foot in places likes this. She had never had the need to be around them, and she did not plan on being stuck in there anytime soon.

After showing her badge to the front desk, she was made to wait about an hour before the Sergeant could see her. She had played with her cell phone for the longest time and once she was about to set a new record, she was called to go inside the Sergeant's office. She exited the game and followed the escort to the back of the police department where Sergeant Roland waited for her. The escort knocked on the door before he opened it – an action that made Dawn roll her eyes as the walls for his office were made of see-though glass and the blinds were open, before speaking to Roland.

"Sir, Ms. Hall from the Pokémon League is here to see you."

Sergeant Roland's eyes moved from his subordinate to the noticeably pregnant girl behind him. He nodded to the clerk, and the clerk motioned Dawn to walk inside. The clerk closed the door behind him and headed back to his post to argue with the half-dozen poorly dressed woman who wanted to know why they were picked from the corners of some streets.

Roland motioned Dawn to take a seat and she quickly complied. The sooner this was done, the faster she could leave this place.

"Ms. Hall, how may I help you?"

"I'm here representing Ms. Amherst. She has requested permission for Gary Oak to be transferred to Indigo Plateau tonight to be house-arrested in the League's HQ."

The Sergeant was taken aback. Maya Amherst herself had spoken to him on the phone just a couple of days ago, saying how she wished for him to stay locked up in Celadon until trial. He tried to hide his obviously upset attitude for the sake of the pregnant woman in front of him.

"When is Mr. Amherst requesting this transfer to take place?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight? A transfer takes days to prepare! There is much paperwork involved, not to mention the readiness of the manpower needed to make this happen!"

Dawn nodded. "I certainly understand, but given the precarious situation the Pokémon League is facing at the moment, we want to expedite the conclusion of this legal issue. We will surely compensate you and your staff for the additional work that is required from you in such a short amount of time," Dawn said as she took out a checkbook.

Even at the Sergeant status, Roland's salary was not entirely reflective of the amount of work and responsibility he was expected to accomplish. Seeing a check with the Pokémon League's title on it meant the opportunity for an unexpected bonus was in place.

"There is much paperwork to be done, Ms. Hall. I am assuming you will be the one filling it out?"

Dawn nodded. "I'm afraid so. Does this mean the transfer will happen tonight?"

"It most certainly can."

"Alright. I do have a more personal request before I start the paperwork."

"What will these be?"

"I need to speak to another of your inmates, privately."

"Of course, what is the name?"

"Jake Dragon."

The officer frowned. "What ties could you possibly have with that troublemaker?"

"We went to school together. He is, sorry to say, an old friend of mine."

"Very well, then."

Roland picked up the phone and requested Jake to be sent to the private visitation room. After a few moments of discussion, he hung up the phone and stood up. "Please, follow me, Ms. Hall."

Dawn stood up and opened her handbag. She took out an unsealed envelope and placed it on Roland's desk. "This is an initial compensation for your troubles."

Roland grabbed the thick envelope and placed it inside one of his drawers. He motioned for Dawn to go ahead of him as they exited his office and headed to the private visitations room.

Dawn concentrated on the person in front of her guiding her to her destination to ignore the people around her: homeless men, drunken women, and hookers. It was moments like this that she appreciated her job and position in the organization.

She was led down a hall to the last door at the end of it. She waited as the officer inputted a code and unlocked the doors. She walked inside and saw a table with two chairs on opposite ends. She sat in the first chair she saw and waited for Jake to show up. After a few minutes, a very _pissy_ Jake Dragon showed up behind her. She heard the doors lock behind him as he went around and sat in the opposite chair.

"Well, shit! Look what the wind blew in! You've been gaining weight, Dawn."

Dawn frowned. How and why had she dated this guy was beyond her understanding. "I wouldn't be in such a good mood, if I were you."

"Why?"

"Emily is pretty pissed off at you. She is cutting you off."

Jake's anger rose and was evident on his face. "What the fuck did I do? I haven't said shit!"

"Ash knows her name; apparently you haven't been very nice to the organization."

"What the hell are you talking about? I've busted my ass for this!"

"She doesn't seem to think so. She's tired of bailing you out; you aren't going anywhere this time."

"She can't do this to _me_! _You_ can't do this time! You gotta talk to her out of it."

"No can do. She's done with your services."

Jake scoffed. "I think not. I know a lot; if I go down, she'll go down with me."

"Do you really want to do that to us?"

Jake frowned. The organization had been the only family he had known since his parents had died. He had been loyal to it and its members since he could remember. Truth be told, he had made many mistakes in the past, and he was not up in the same ranks as Dawn, but he had gotten stuck with dirtier jobs that she had.

"Well, what about you?"

"What about me, Jake?"

"You've got a favor to repay," he said as he looked at her overgrown belly.

"I'm sure fucking is a difficult task for your small brain, but I don't owe you anything. You were paid for your services, and your role in this is over."

Jake chuckled. "I'm sure Ash wouldn't think that. I'd love for him to know exactly what kind of child he is bearing. It's only fair for me to make sure the guy who will take care of _my_ son is adequate and willing to do it, don't you think?"

Dawn frowned. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? I electrocuted Misty, didn't I?"

"And you almost killed yourself in the process. Good luck with that."

"You know what, let's make this clear. Once you get out of here, you're gonna get your big pregnant-woman ass out of here and go to Team Rocket's Headquarters. You're gonna talk to Emily and tell her that if she decides to get me out of this deal without my approval, she's gonna wish she'd never raised me…"

"She already does…"

"Shut the fuck up. I ain't done."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "You're gonna tell her that I will find a way for the world to find out about what she did, and I'll make sure Ash knows the truth too. I'm taking everybody down with me."

Dawn was seriously upset, but she concealed her anger with a wide smile on her face. "And when the organization comes down, you'd be as fucked as you were before you found it."

"The organization will live on. Everybody though that after Giovanni's death, it would crumble down."

"Exactly, Giovanni was the boss for twenty years. It took _twenty_ years for another worthy ruler to come up. How long do you think the association can live without its leader? Besides, everyone will know you turned us in, and they will never welcome you back in it."

"Well, maybe I just have to take over it. It should be my right, as the brother of the new boss."

Dawn laughed out loud. "You're such a failure; no one follow you."

"Laugh all you want, Dawn. I'll be the one having the last laugh."

"Sure, ok. Maya Amherst already believes you're crazy saying that the dead Emily Dragon is responsible for this."

"We both know she ain't dead."

"The record says she is. Everyone believes she is. Do you know what that means?"

Jake remained silent as he glared at Dawn. "It means that without someone _alive_ to blame, everything points at you. Arson, attempted murder, conspiracy, animal cruelty…see you in thirty years in your first parole hearing."

"If she dares to blame all that on me, how is she going to take care of Oak and the bitch? She needs me."

"No one is indispensable, baby. You aren't indispensable for her revenge."

"And neither are you."

Dawn waved her hand to dismiss him as she stood up. "Here is final payment for your services," she said as he dropped a twenty on the table. Jake did not attempt to pick it up and she knocked on the door. The door was unlocked and Dawn Hall exited the room.

Jake eyed the door as it locked. Soon the security guards would come and take him back to his cell. He quickly grabbed the bill and hid it inside his shoe. The security guards appeared soon after and handcuffed him as he was taken back to his cell.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ash watched as Misty was returned to her room after another round of medical procedures. The doctors at Cerulean's Hospital wanted to make sure she was able to travel to Indigo Plateau in a few hours. Ash had spent most of this time in the medical office as he filled out forms, but now that he was done, he was anxious to spend a few hours with her. He knew that visiting her while she was in the same building as him was going to prove a difficult task since Dawn was in the same place. Yet, he was almost positive that when Dawn fell asleep, he would be able to visit her without anyone to interrupt them.

_"I'm sure she'll want to see Gary too."_

Dawn had called him to bitch about the amount of paperwork she had to fill. He had listened to her rant for fifteen minutes before saying she had to get back to work. She had not even asked if he had to go through the same ordeal, or how he was doing so far. Dawn tended to be very self-centered when it came down to duties she hated to perform.

He chuckled inwardly at the fact that he had once felt threatened to lose his opportunity to become the Pokémon Master to her. She was talented, there was no doubt about that, but he knew that Misty was much a better trainer than she was. _"No wonder she didn't get admitted to Pokémon College with Becca Gall."_

He saw Misty being placed on her bed again, and she gave a sigh of relief as the nurses left the room. "The said I'm done. All they need is to approve and review the forms you filled, and I'll be able to get out of here."

Ash stood up and walked to her. He removed some of the locks of hair on her forehead as he sat on her bed. "I'm glad you didn't cut your hair."

Misty tilted her head. "Why I'd do something like that?"

"Uh," he began was not able to finish. He knew that the only reason she had let her hair grow long was because he has asked her to do so. He had believed that once they had broken up, she would go and shortened it back since she had complained a few times about how difficult it was to treat long hair. "Nothing."

"I really like it. I think it makes me look a little bit more mature."

"Beautiful, too."

Misty looked away and trying to avoid his intense stare. She wanted to indulge in his compliments and subtle loving actions towards her, but she was constantly reminded that he had a duty to Dawn. She could not make herself accept what he was consciously or unconsciously offering to her because every time he did, she will soon be reminded that he had attached his life to someone else.

Sometimes she wondered if there could still be a future with them, but she immediately felt guilt of even thinking to separate a child from his father. She had lost her father when she was young –to different circumstances, nonetheless, but she could not bring herself to purposefully inflict a child with the pain that was to not have both parents around. Her father was not around anymore by choice of fate; she could not allow Ash's son to not have a father by her choice.

"We'll be out of here in no time. You'll be able to see a little bit of the outside world, then stay in a nicer place, and maybe even see Gary."

"Gary's gonna be there?"

"Yeah, he's being transferred there tonight too."

Misty smiled, to much of Ash's short-lived discontent. Even though they had gotten physical to release their anger towards each other, Ash did not believe he would ever be able to be alright with Gary and Misty's close friendship. While Gary had said that Misty still loved Ash and that she could never love the playboy, he could not bring himself to believe that there was not some interest in her part. In fact, now that he thought about it, he had realized that she had not allowed her to speak up about her feelings for the young Oak.

"Guess what?" Ash asked.

"What?"

"My mom and Professor Oak are engaged."

Misty's mouth fell. He chuckled at her reaction and carefully used his right hand to close her mouth. "Sorry," she said with a smile. "I just…I can't…wow."

"I know. They got engaged that night we..."

"That night we what?"

"My birthday party…"

"Oh."

Ash hit himself mentally. Why did he not think about what said before he said it?

"That night…you looked beautiful."

Misty gave him a weak smile. "I know, you told me…before you broke up with me."

Ash hit himself again. What was wrong with him? Was a long-term vision of the consequences of his words a skill he was not equipped yet?

"It wasn't because there was no love."

Misty looked at him, with an almost accusingly stare. "That wasn't what you told me."

"I know…"

"It's kind late for that."

"Since you love Gary now."

Misty could not hide her shock. "What?"

"I know you love him; it's ok. I mean, he ain't a bad guy."

Misty smiled as he recalled his actions and words. Gary was indeed not a bad guy, and any girl –including herself, would be glad to be called his girl. However, the situation had just not been right for them, and even though she had been packing to follow him, she knew that had the situation been different, she would have made the right decision to stick by his side.

A side of her felt sad that things had turned out the way they did. If she had met Gary first, if she had not met Ash before she met Gary, there would have been a possibility that she and Gary would be together. Truth be told, she was not against the idea of having a serious relationship with Gary. She had considered it many times while they lived under the same roof, and if it was not for her attachment to Ash, she would have jumped into his arms a long time ago. If only Gary would have been the one she pulled out of the river, if only Ash could have been the one to wake up early, she should have ended up with Gary instead of Ash. However, this was not what the situation was, and could have's, should have's and would have's were not of any use to her.

She realized she had not said anything for a while, and Ash's face darkened at every single passing second she did not speak. She knew what was crossing his mind, and how her silence was being interpreted. She knew she could not go back in time, and neither could he, so all she could do for herself was to be honest and open to him. She did not know how much longer she would be in this situation, but she knew that once everything was said and done, she would have to go back to real life and find her purpose again. The last thing she wanted to remember in her death bed was that she had not been honest with either one of the childhood friends, and that she had not set the record straight for years to come.

"Ash, Gary _is_ a great guy. He is loyal, charming, and devoted. He is amazing…"

Ash recalled Gary using the same adjective to describe her. He would forever wonder what had happened between them too during those six months they had spent in the Gym that had bonded them so close together.

"He acts tough on the outside, but he's more sensitive than some girls I know," she said with a giggle. "He's very caring and a true gentleman –when he wants to be, but he's also strong and confident. He's everything any girl could ever want…"

Ash looked away. He knew that Gary was a pretty standup guy regardless of his player fame. Knowing and hearing girls talk about Gary was one thing he was used to by now; listening to his ex-girlfriend talk so highly about him was another, altogether.

"But he is not the one I love."

Ash did not say a thing. His heart guided his eyes to hers as she stared back at him with the same intensity and desire than him. His right hand crawled from her hand up her arm, around her shoulder and up her neck, and caressed her face, cupping the left side of it. She wanted to look away. She wanted to close her eyes and remove his hand from her face as she knew what was happening was wrong, but she could not make herself do it.

He began to lean closer to her, his body hovering over hers. She felt her stomach churn and she was holding her breath. His left hand slid underneath her beck and slightly lifted her face to his. He slowly looked down from her eyes to her nose, her blushing cheeks, to her slightly parted lips. She whispered his name with what sounded like only a fraction of her voice strength before he whispered something to her.

"Forgive me, but I must."

He did not waste any more time as he pressed his lips against hers. She did not respond for a few seconds as the back of her mind screamed to her that it was wrong. His slow kiss quickly shut the screams and she finally gave in. When he felt her respond, his kiss deepened and became more passionate. He heard her moan and it only made him want to continue even longer. He had missed her taste for such a long time, he had tried to find it elsewhere but he had failed miserably. He needed to have more of her, he could not let go of her forever just quite yet.

His tongue played with her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She complied and he began exploring the inside of her mouth. He could hear her take in deep breaths through her nose, and feel her reciprocating his explorations. He reluctantly ended the kiss but not his wandering. He began placing slow kisses down the right side of her neck as he still held it with his right hand. His left hand slowly went down her shoulder and lightly touched her breast before sliding down her waist and resting below her thigh. He picked up her leg so that she was slightly bending it as the end of the hospital gown she was wearing slid down, revealing her skin. His hand moved up her leg and his thumb played with her inner part of her thigh. He could feel her skin react to his touch and hear her take deeper and deeper breaths.

"Ash…please…stop…"

She herself could not believe her words. She uttered them because the part of her brain in charge of her moral values told her to do so, but in reality she did not want him to stop. He smiled at how her tone betrayed her words. "Just this once…"

"No…it's wrong."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"Then why are we both enjoying it?"

He returned his attention to her mouth and she responded by trying to push him off her. She quickly gave up as she felt her chest in her hands and decided to use her hands to discover him as well. She pulled him closer to her and he deepened the kiss again. His hand began going even further up into her leg and stroking the outside of her undergarments. "No…"

"Misty…"

"No…stop."

"Misty…" he said between kisses, "Misty, I still love you."

"Butch, not…stop!"

Ash was taken aback. He pulled out his hand and lifted himself away from her. He stared at her eyes and realized she was not aware of what she had just said. He sighed when he realized what had happened. It was too soon for her. The memory was still fresh in her mind.

He lowered her leg and covered back again with the blanket at her feet. He straightened her hair and stroked her face as if it was made out of thin glass. She did not say anything but she knew he had understood what she had meant.

He gave her a weak smile to let her know it was ok, but made a note to beat the shit out of Butch when he saw him. Misty had been alright all this time that he had not realized the long-term repercussions of the incident.

"I'm sorry, Mist."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. Her ears had heard what he had said, and her mind had been quick to register the confession. She would take his words to her grave.

The door knocked and Ash yelled it was ok to come in. the nurse at the door informed them it was time to go.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gary looked at the highly-questionable meal in front of him. His mind had played with the possibility of throwing it out and then asking for food in Indigo Plateau. He had been very surprised to find out he was being transferred the League's Headquarters in just a few hours, so he had been unsure about eating before he left. He was glad to know this was going to be his last meal in this stinking place.

After a few more moments of uncertainty, he opted to throw away the meal. The last thing he wanted was for his transferred to be canceled due to illness. He stood up from his chair and decided to return to his room. Dinner time was the most depressing time of the day as it was the time that the inmates realized that another day of their lives had ended, and they were still locked in.

He began walking around the tables, making his way to the exit. No one was allowed back in the cells before dinner was over, but he thought he could wait underneath the stairs, away from the guards' view until the bell that announced the end of dinner rung.

He casually walked closer to the stairs and became interested in a rhyme that was carved on the wall:

_If you're reading this_

_You are screwed_

_I was screwed once too_

_But I used the hole I dug_

_And I ain't inviting you!_

Gary smiled. "I don't need your hole."

"Are you sure about that?"

Gary turned around and saw the one and only Jake Dragon standing in front of him. He had a smug look on his face as he walked closer to Gary. "I heard your getting out, lucky you."

"Seems this time I got bailed before you did."

"That don't mean it won't happen."

"Taking a long time, isn't?"

Jake shrugged. "I'm just adjusting some of the terms that come with my release. I should be up and about, free to go pay a visit to a friend of mine in Cerulean's hospital."

Gary wanted to erase the smile off his face with a broken jaw, but he knew he could not get in trouble just hours before he was to be transferred to Indigo Plateau.

"Like they would let you go visit her. Cerulean doesn't really like you, not after what you did to her and the Gym."

"My boss thinks I did a good job," he lied. "I'll be doing as I want in no time."

"Team Rocket ain't bailing you out this time, Jake."

"Emily Dragon will."

"Emily Dragon is dead."

"How can a dead person be in charge of Team Rocket, you fool?"

Gary furrowed his brows. "So Team Rocket _is_ behind this."

"Of course, what did you expect?"

"Since when is Team Rocket doing this kinda business?"

"Since Emily took over."

"Emily is dead, dammit!"

"No, she ain't, and she is closer to all of you than you think. Soon Misty will meet her fate."

"What fate?"

"Death."

Gary's fists clenched and his jaw hurt. Jake smiled at being able to get the reaction he wanted from Gary. He took a few steps closer to him and placed his left hand on Gary's right shoulder and leaned his face closer to Gary's. Gary eyed the hand on his shoulder. It took all of his willpower not to break it.

"There's some good news, though."

"What would that be?" Gary snarled.

"You'll meet the same fate sooner, much sooner."

Before Gary could speak, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. The pain spread to his body, making his knuckles turn white because of the strength he was placing on them as a result of the pain. He felt the pain hit him again on several different parts of his abdomen and his sides. He looked at Jake's triumphant smile before looking down in between them. His eyes widened and realized that help would not make it to him on time. They were both practically hiding from the guards and they still had forty minutes for the bell to ring.

Jake placed one final blow in between Gary's chest. "Amazing what a twenty can get you in jail, uh?"

Gary did not speak. His eyes closed and he slowly fell to the ground. Jake look behind him and placed Gary in a position that seemed he was just resting on the floor. He wiped off the blood from the blade on Gary's clothes and smiled down at him as he spoke one last time.

"Say hi to your parents for me."

Jake looked around himself once again before hiding the blade in his clothes and walking away from Gary. Gary's eyes closed as dozens of images played in his head, the voices sped up to catch up to the last image he wanted to take with him.

"_Nothing. Where do we start, Mr. Oak?"_

_Gary smiled. "Please, call me Gary."_

"_Gary, where do we start?"  
_

"_First, we must close that door to the past, right there."_

_-------  
_

"_I was just telling her it is not meant to be. She is a door stopper, I am a playboy. It would have never worked out."_

_"Is that your night job, a playboy?"_

_"Please don't tell anyone!"_

_-------  
_

"_Ok, Red. Let's go home."_

_Gary turned around and pointed at his back, inviting Misty to climb on it. After much debate she finally accepted and he carried her on his back all the way back home._

_-------  
_

"_I need to do laundry. I have no clean shirts."_

"_I can do that for you. Just give me your dirty clothes."_

"_Don't you wish? I know all you want is to look at my underwear."_

"_What?"_

"_But hey! I will show you mine if you show me yours."_

_--------  
_

"_Gary, we weren't supposed to end up hating each other over this."_

"_And I was not supposed to fall in love with you after it either."_

He smiled at the final image his brain provided. She was sitting in front of him, her face perplexed. The cool wind in Pallet Town's thinking hill was not able to cold his warm body. He pulled her face to her and kissed her –_anyone_, for the first time. He saw her face as she stood up and got ready to walk away. A look of confusion plastered on her face.

"_I…should go back…home. Ash is probably waiting for me."_

_"He might not be the only one."_

The last thing he saw was her smile.

The bell finally rung to mark the end of dinner and the last beat of his heart.

Gary Oak, the prodigious child, the ever-supporting friend, the overprotective brother, the overconfident playboy, the self-sacrificing lover, died in a lonely medical jail cell away from the world; _his_ world.


	9. House Arrest Part 1

**WARNING: This is the ASH and MISTY version of the sequel. If you want the GARY and MISTY version, please read OUTLAW.**

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 9: House Arrest – Part 1**

It seemed that Maya was the only person in the League that knew the ins and outs of the Pokémon Headquarters. The place was so big that even the long-time residents would get lost sometimes. Even The Dragon Master had to resort to calling his coworkers to get saved from a certain hall or room. Maya, however, knew the entire building by heart; every hall, every room, every floor. She had spent many days learning the master plans of the building, and it had paid off. She loved the look on her subordinates' faces when she was able to tell them how to get somewhere or how to get _out_ of somewhere in a heartbeat and practically with her eyes closed.

The Pokémon Headquarters had five floors, a ground level, an underground parking lot, an outside parking lot, a Pokémon Gym on the back, a Pokémon Stadium behind the gym, and a helicopter landing station on the roof. The underground parking lot was for members of the League –a parking permit was required, while the outside parking lot was for visitors or for trainers that arrived to the annual tournaments by vehicle. The first encounter anyone had with HQ was with the security guards at the front door. They were required to ask for some sort of identification from the person entering the building before allowing them to walk inside.

The ground level looked very much like the reception of a hotel. There was a front desk where a really old lady was in charge of attending guests and managing incoming and outgoing orders. To the right of the reception desk were the elevators to the remaining floors that had now been locked and were only accessible with a card key that the receptionist provided to visitors. If one continued down that same hall, housekeeping rooms could be found, as well as the laundry room for the entire building. The sleeping quarters for the custodians were also found down this same hall, as well as a small kitchen and lounge for the use of any administrative, custodian or clerical employees.

If one took the left hall instead, he or she would encounter the reception room where the conference had taken place months ago. The reception room could be divided up into smaller rooms where the leaders would hold their meetings, but the large reception room was usually left intact. There were many other rooms in that same wing of the ground floor that served as conference centers or training rooms. These had been the rooms that had been used to give the workshops to the League members back when the conference took place. Hidden behind some double-doors was the main kitchen of the building where cafeteria workers would create meals for the guests. Meals were provided per request during the workweek since most of the members where almost always busy, and required during the weekend, starting with Friday's dinner. The cafeteria workers were also in charge of birthday or anniversary celebrations, and members of the League who resided in Headquarters could expect a great meal when a special occasion was around the corner.

The first floor of the building was mostly for office needs. All the offices, with the exception of Maya and Ash's, resided in the first floor. Rooms with copy machines and other office supply needs were located here. A fully-stocked kitchen could also be found at the end of one of the halls, as well as vending machines and lounges that showed movies or the news on large flat-screen televisions mounted on the walls. Permanent offices for the League Representatives serving with the restructuring of Gyms could also be found there, even though most of these were usually locked and not in use since the owners of the offices were hard-at-work away from Indigo Plateau. Some of the representatives had returned while battling was frozen to enjoy some peace and quiet, and spend sometime in their never-used office rooms.

The second floor of the building held a few of the guest rooms used for non-League visitors. The rooms had a bed, a television and a small bathroom. Compared to the rest of the rooms, these rooms were not very fancy, but compared to other rooms in hotels, these rooms would have been among one of the highest priced in the entire hotel's facilities. The second floor also featured a small fitness center, a kitchen, a business center, and a couple of offices for employees who were in charge of maintain the technology and network used in the League and around all the Pokémon Gyms in Kanto. Professor Oak's house arrest room resided here. The rooms selected for Gary and Misty were a part of this room.

The third floor hosted most of the sleeping quarters for the on-site League members. The sleeping rooms for the Elite Four, the Pokémon Master, and the Pokémon President were on this floor. There were other rooms that were used for very important guests –Dehlia and May at the moment, as well as the Pokémon researchers that were on-staff at the moment, the medical doctors, the flight engineers, the technology engineers, and the League's police officers. The quality of the rooms was tenfold to those rooms in the second floor. The floor also hosted a kitchen –bigger than the one in the other floors, a laundry room, a game room, and an open bar.

The fourth floor was dedicated to the offices of Maya and Ash, as well as all storage places for all the paperwork and technology that was needed to run the League. Supercomputers that held the database of all the trainers in the region, as well as Pokémon databases were hosted here. While the room was accessible via a fingerprint system to the Elite Four and Dawn, the rest of the staff did not have access to this floor. Non-authorized staff had to be escorted at all times by an authorized member of the League that had access to this floor. And even if a person had access to the floor, the rooms that held all the information were accessible only by Maya and Ash.

The fifth floor of the building was reserved to the Pokémon researchers and scientists. Laboratories were hosted in this room, as well as a few impromptu sleeping quarters that were placed to be used by obsessed scientist that could not leave some piece of research behind. The standard features applied to this floor: kitchen, lounge, as well as a medical emergency facility in case of malfunctioning experimentation.

The back of the building hosted a large Pokémon Gym where visitors and Pokémon members alike could train their Pokémon using state-of-the-art training equipment. The Pokémon Gym had every single piece of equipment that every other Kanto Gym had around the region. Pokémon members and researchers remained up-to-date with the development and influence of the equipment in Pokémon training, as well as staying ahead of the game when it came to training their own Pokémon. By the time new equipment was sent to a Pokémon Gym anywhere around Kanto, the equipment had been thoroughly tested and retested by all the members of the League. The Pokémon Gym also featured facilities for the trainers themselves. These facilities had a full-sized gym, a Jacuzzi, an Olympic-size indoor pool, indoor basketball and tennis courts, a weight room, and other amenities that membership gyms could only dream of.

The Pokémon Stadium, needless to say, was a piece of art on itself. Even during the off-season time, the Gym was thoroughly maintained and updated to be ready by the next tournament season. The last time it had been used was when Ash claimed his place as the Pokémon Master, and by the looks of it, the Pokémon Stadium was not going to be in use for a long, long time. This was the same Pokémon Stadium where Misty had found out about Gary's badge issue, and the same location where Ash had found he was going to become a father.

The Pokémon League Headquarters had been the witness of many battles, victories and defeats. The walls of every room could tell many secrets they had witnessed over the course of many years. The rooms had hosted many different types of trainers, and had served as the final resting place of a handful of others. HQ's building had seen its fair share of ups and downs, rumors and news, lies and truths, wins and loses; though these happenings had never been of the magnitude of what it was going to witness _very_ soon.

The roof was the place where the helicopters were kept, and where all authorized landing and departing took place. There was not much action in the roof other than when people had to be transported to different cities in a hurry. In a few minutes, the roof would be the welcome center for Misty as she was brought to Indigo Plateau from Cerulean's hospital.

The night was at its fullest with nothing on the skies but the stars. The moon had hidden from visibility as if it was trying to avoid any position on what was going to take place in Indigo Plateau. The businesses were closed –with the exception of the Pokémon Center, and the only attractive lights coming from the city belonged to the landing station on top of HQ. Ash eyed the building –the one he had been calling home for such a long time, from his window on the helicopter. He took a quick glance to his left to look at Misty's resting body. The paramedics had been forced to give her sedatives to avoid the air sickness that was taking over her; funny how someone who can swim relentlessly in the middle of the ocean can be afraid of heights.

He saw that there were not any other helicopters on the area and this made him slightly nervous for some unknown reason. There was room for three helicopters on the roof. The other helicopters were brought from a storage facility on a need-basis, but still, the sight was not one he was expecting. He figured Dawn and Gary would be back by now since Celadon City is much closer than Cerulean City. He tried to shrug off the eerie feeling and decided to concentrate on making sure Misty made it safely to her room. He was anxious to find out what Maya had decided to do about the evidence he had presented to her. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel; he knew the evidence was as obvious as it could have been. However, ever since they had left Cerulean, he had had the strongest feeling of uneasiness he had ever had in his entire life. He had blamed it on the flight in the helicopter as memories of the way Misty's parents had died came back to him. Perhaps, this was the reason why Misty had felt sick as well.

He heard the pilot being cleared for landing over the ratio and the helicopter began descending. The Pokémon League emblem painted on the roof of HQ began looking bigger and bigger as they approached land. He placed a comforting hand on an unconscious Misty, more so to reassure himself that he was still sane, and that the helicopter had not malfunctioned and plummeted them to their certain deaths. His breathing was labored and he could not stop shaking. He felt as if someone was pressing on his chest from the inside-out. He looked at Misty's vital signals and made sure her heart was still beating. It did not matter how many times he read that machine, the feeling of uncertainty would not leave his mind. He felt ok, and Misty looked ok, but someone or something out there was not, he just could not imagine who or what it was.

A slight thud announced the landing of the helicopter; after the two incidents regarding Pokémon League members, all the Pokémon associations around the world had made sure that only the best emergency pilots were hired for the League. In a matter of seconds, paramedics were preparing Misty to be taken out of the helicopter and into her room. Ash jumped off the helicopter and ran to the entrance, air still blowing from the slowly stopping rotor blades. He saw Maya standing at the entrance of the stairs that led to the fifth floor. The look on her face was a scene he would never ever forget; one of someone who knows some painful news about the person they are looking at. He stood in front of her and stared at her, not been able to read her features. Something had gone wrong; very, very wrong.

"How is Misty?" Maya asked.

Ash nodded in response. "She had to be sedated. She was getting nauseous."

"I can imagine," Maya responded as she gave her right temple a slight massage. "Ash, let the paramedics do their work. I've instructed housekeeping to guide them to Misty's room. She'll be right next to Samuel. I need you to come with me."

Ash looked back and saw the paramedics unload Misty and placed her on the gurney. Some of them were strapping her to it at the same time others made sure that everything that needed to be connected to her was indeed still on. He looked back at Maya and tried his best to keep his ground. He knew that Maya had just given him an order in the form of a casual conversation, but he wanted to stay with Misty as long as he could. "Can it wait? I want to make sure she is alright."

Maya shook her head. "It_ can't_ wait. You can go make sure she is fine once the meeting is adjourned."

"What meeting?"

"Please, come." She said as she took a step inside the small room and gave him space to follow her.

Ash reluctantly followed Maya to her office. As he walked down the stairs and into the elevator that would take them to the fourth floor, he could not help to believe that his gut feeling had been correct. Something was terribly wrong, and he was soon to find out what it was. He wanted to ask where Dawn was, and if she was alright, but he figured by the look on Maya's face that she did not want to go into detail until they had reached her office. Her office was just one floor below them, but the way there had felt longer than usual for him.

He looked up in time to see the Elite Four standing outside Maya's office. He figured that Maya had left them there while she gathered him from the roof. The look on their faces did not match Maya's but Ash's, and most of them were wearing night robes. Ash realized it was past midnight already, and they had been probably sleeping for a while now. Whatever information Maya had for them it was important, serious and for their ears only.

Maya stopped in front of her office and placed her hand on the scanner. She then allowed the machine to scan her eyes. After a couple of seconds, the machine's voice said the fingerprints and retinal scans had been matched, and that access had been granted. Maya walked in and held the door open for the Elite Four and the Pokémon Master.

Ash was the first one to find a seat. Lorelei and Agatha followed, while Lance and Bruno remained standing close to the door. Maya went around her desk and took her seat. She rubbed her face with her hands and held her forehead with her closed fists for a few seconds. She took deep breaths before finally looking up to see her assistants.

"As you all may have heard, Misty has been safely transferred to headquarters thanks to Ash."

No one made a reply to show agreement or disagreement. Maya took this a sign to continue. "Unfortunately, Gary Oak will not be joining us."

Ash was the first one to frown and speak up. "Why not?"

Maya took another deep breath. "Dawn sent me a text message a few minutes ago. Gary Oak was…murdered…in jail."

Gasps were heard in every corner of the office. Lance and Bruno shook their heads and allowed them to hang. Lorelei closed her eyes and tried to hold tears she usually did not show. Agatha's hand found her chest as she bit her lips to prevent her from crying. Ash fists shook in anger, sadness and despair. He could not remove his eyes from Maya, waiting for her to speak again and say she had just told them a very bad joke. He felt his head spinning and the food he had eaten a while ago was making his stomach upset. It did not take long before he was throwing up on the side of the chair he was sitting on.

Maya grabbed her telephone and called housekeeping and a nurse. Agatha offered Ash a handkerchief to clean himself as she rubbed his back. No one said anything. No one knew what to say, really. Ash felt tears sting his eyes as memories of his friend flashed across his mind. The first time they met, the first time they fought; the last time they fought, and the last time they met. He could not believe what he had just heard. There had to be some kind of mistake. Gary Oak could not be gone.

The pressure on Ash's chest got worse than when he had arrived to the roof moments ago. His left hand found his chest and he began taking deep calming breaths. His eyes were looking at the floor but were not focusing on anything on particular. All he could feel was the pain and all he could think about was what he had just heard. Gary was dead. Gary was murdered. Gary was _really_ gone.

Lorelei knew Ash's head was full of questions he was unable to ask at the moment, and her curiosity got the better of her. She had battled with Gary several times, and had seen him during the Tournament that took place during the conference months ago. She had known him for his battling skills, and his research abilities. She could not believe someone so full of energy and spirit could have been taken down in such a degrading way. "How did it happen?"

"They are not sure yet; details are sketchy. Dawn is still in Celadon filling out the paperwork to transfer his body here for an autopsy. After that, well, we must ask Samuel what he wants to do."

The Dragon Master looked up to stare at Ash. He and Ash had been working together for months now, and he knew what Ash was feeling at the moment. Ash's eyes showed how shocked and lost he felt, and he felt sorry for him. Lance had also battled Gary at some point in his life, and his findings in the Pokémon research field had aided Lance in his quest to become the ultimate dragon-type trainer in Kanto. No matter what the legal situation was for Gary, he did not deserve whatever was that he got. Gary's last name was well-known in the Pokémon world as it was associated with knowledge, and prestigious research. Many had believed Gary would become the new Professor Oak once Samuel retired from the field. It seemed the Oak dynasty was to end with Samuel himself. "We might need the doctors when Samuel is told about this." Lance said, thinking about his old college friend.

"Someone needs to tell May, too." Bruno stated. The older Oak child was widely known for her adventurous and free-spirited nature. She had not pursuit a career in the field of Pokémon training or research, but she had been top of her class in the private college she had attended. While many saw May as a ditzy, fashion-oriented shopaholic, the members of the League knew how intelligent she really was. Many believed that May's personality was a result of seeing her parents die at a very young age and feeling that life was not long enough to be taken seriously.

Agatha looked at Ash as he refused to move or speak. All these young trainers always made her feel as if time has stopped for her. Whenever she battled, she felt that the aging process gave her a break and her now lost youth revived at that moment to lead her to victory. She was continuously misjudged by any trainer that crossed her because of her age, only to later realize –when it was too late, how good she truly was. She had seen many trainers come and go, but Ash Ketchum and his little group of friends –Gary Oak included, had given her hope that the Pokémon battling tradition was left in good hands for generations to come. "An official statement must be made." Agatha said, thinking of all the rumors that would surface from this.

"I've already got our Chief of Marketing preparing the news press." Maya said.

"Do they have any clue who could have done it?" Lorelei asked.

"The preliminary report is that he was…_stabbed_…repeatedly. His body was found under a staircase. They are plenty of inmates and therefore plenty of suspects; they are interviewing every single one of them."

"I think we should tell the relatives about this before we go on the news, Samuel, May...." Lance said

"What stance are we taking on this?"

"Well, given the circumstances, I think we should…"

"What is the matter with you people? This is one of us!"

Everyone turned to face Ash. He had not said anything in a while and his question had surprised everyone. He grabbed the last bit of his energy and stood up from his chair. "Why are ya so worried about the media? One of our members, _my_ best friend just died! I can't…" Ash began but his tears stopped him. He heard housekeeping knocking on the door. "I just can't do this right now…" he said as he approached the door.

"Ash, wait," Agatha said.

He did not stop and opened the door to housekeeping. A nurse was standing behind the housekeeping cart. Ash looked up at the poor man who was to clean up after his mess and gave him an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry, sir."

The custodian shook his head and assured Ash it was not an issue. Ash nodded and continued to walk down the hall. The nurse stood there staring at Maya who shrugged at her. "I think he is alright for now." The nurse nodded and excused herself to return to her duty of tending to Misty Waterflower.

Ash heard the door close as he headed to his office. He repeated the procedure Maya had followed to open her office and in a matter of seconds he was on the phone, calling the Celadon Police Station. The phone rang several times before an annoyed-sounding voice answer the call. Who could blame the woman, it was very late at night.

"Celadon Police Station – Northwest. How may I redirect your call?"

"Sergeant Roland, please."

"I'm sorry. Sergeant Roland is not available at this time of night."

"I don't care, find him."

"Sir, I will not tolerate you speaking to me in that tone of voice."

"And Ask Ketchum doesn't tolerate being left in the dark about a League member being stabbed to death while he was under _your _care."

A long pause was heard at the end of the line, and after a whisper and shuffling of paper sounds, the telephone clerk returned to the call. "Please hold, Mr. Ketchum."

"Thanks."

This had to be the longest ten seconds of Ash's life. He tapped on his desk with his fingers as he heard the housekeeping cart out in the hall. A few seconds later, a very tired-sounding Roland answered the call. "Roland here."

"Sergeant Roland, this is Ash Ketchum."

Roland sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ketchum. We did everything we could."

"Save it, Roland. I want to know what happened."

Roland cleared his throat. "It seems that someone followed Oak to the bottom of the stairs. We think he was waiting for the end of dinner to return to his cell. He was stabbed fifteen times. By the time the guards found him, he wasn't breathing anymore. The nurses at the facilities performed CPR but it was too late."

Ash felt his stomach churn again. It did not matter how many times he had heard similar stories in the news, or how much more horrible these news stories had been, they had never been as shocking as they were now. Hearing someone you know received such fate is not easy to cope with even though the causes of death repeat every day around the world.

"Any clue as to who could have done it?"

"The CSI unit has been clearing the area and performing analysis on the hair and fingerprint samples that were found on Gary's clothes. These could take weeks to process, though."

"What about Gary's…b-body?"

"Ms. Hall is here and has been working with us to speed up the process. The paperwork she filled out in the afternoon is now obsolete since we have to complete different forms now. Mr. Oak's body won't be able to return to Indigo Plateau until the forensic scientists gives us clearance."

"I understand. Has this gone out?"

"No, sir. We've told anyone who has asked or heard what happened that Mr. Oak is in ICU."

"Thank you."

"Ms. Hall will be leaving soon. In her condition, we think it'll be better if she returns to Indigo Plateau as soon as the paperwork is completed."

"We'd appreciate that."

"We'll find who did this, Mr. Ketchum."

"For his sake, I hope _you_ find him first."

Roland wanted to make a comment to let Ash know of the implications of his response, but he figured that it was anger that was speaking for the Pokémon Master at the moment and decided to let it go for now.

"I've got to get back to this."

"Alright. Thank you."

"No problem."

Ash hung up the phone and sniffled. He grabbed a tissue and cleared his nose. He had to go tell Samuel, May and Misty what had happened. He needed someone to be with him when he did. He had never had anyone he cared for die, and he definitely had never been in charge of telling someone their loved one had been murdered. He took deep relaxing breaths as he stood up. His hands were sweating and shaking. How could he sum up the courage to tell them Gary was dead when he did not believe it himself?

"_I need mom."_

He walked to the door and left his office. He headed to the elevator, careful not to be spotted by any of the Elite Four or Maya. He had not heard them leave the floor, and they were not allowed to wander around this particular part of the building. He was almost sure that they were probably still debating the news issues in Maya's office.

He reached the elevator and pressed the down button after sliding his card key. The elevator doors opened and he pushed the button with the number 3 on it. Five seconds later, he was walking to his mother's room. He stood outside the door and knocked three times. After a few shuffling of feet and turning down the television, a tired-looking Dehlia opened the door.

She only had to give him one look to realize something was wrong. His eyes were puffy from crying, and his nose was pink. The look in his eyes told her something had gone terrible wrong while he was gone. A handful of faces invaded her mind as a list of possible causes for her son's dreaded look on his face to grow grimmer by the second. She welcomed Ash into her room and locked the door behind him. Ash sat on his mother's bed and she was quick to follow suit. "What's the matter, son?"

Dehlia saw her son's lips tremble, holding back a whimper. He swallowed the lump in his throat and exhaled. "Mom, something awful has happened. I…"

Ash struggled to get the words out. He crackled his knuckles and then clenched his fists. He found an interesting spot on the carpet to focus on as he spoke again. "Gary…Gary's gone."

Dehlia frowned. She opened her mouth to speak a couple of times but nothing came out. She eyed her son's white knuckles and then stared at his face. She tried to read his expression to fully understand what he had meant by _gone_. Truth was that deep inside she knew what it meant, but her mind could not register that this could happen to Gary while being so young. When his mother did not make a move or a sound, Ash continued. "They found him…he wasn't breathing…he was…bleeding."

"Ash, are you telling me that Gary was…"

Ash looked up and stared at his mother. He did not have to say it, he knew she had understood. He allowed his tears and nod to answer her unspoken question. Dehlia gasped, her hand covering her mouth. How could this be? How could Gary Oak be dead? Death and Gary Oak did not fit together in one sentence. Her mind could not register what she was being told. Gary was just a kid! Who could have done something like this to a kid!

"_Samuel,"_ she thought.

Tears began flowing down her cheeks. Small sobs escaped her mouth and she covered half of her face with her open palm. A pain like no other invaded her chest. She could not stop thinking about Samuel. How do you tell a parent that their child is dead? How do you tell a man who lost his own child that his grandchild is dead too? How can man handle such loss? _"God, what are we going to tell him?"_

"Mom, I need you to help me tell them. I…I can't do it alone."

Ash's mother nodded as she placed a comforting hand on her son's lap. "When?"

"Right now, before they find out any other way."

Dehlia nodded again. "Who do we start with?"

Ash sniffled. Dehlia stood up and grabbed a tissue for him. He welcomed it and blew his nose. "I think May should know first."

"I think so too."

Ash nodded and stood up. May was next door to Dehlia, so in a matter of seconds they were standing at her door. They knocked and heard May yell that the door was open. They opened the door and slowly walked inside. May was watching television and paid no heed to them. She saw Dehlia from the corner of her eyes and smiled. "I was gonna look for you, Mrs. Ketchum. I can't sleep."

May sighed before turning off the television and focusing her attention on Dehlia and Ash. She raised her eyebrows at the sight. "Ash? When did you come back?"

"Just now."

She stood up and walked towards them. "Is Gary here too?"

The idea of seeing her brother again made her smile. Even though she had just seen him, she was sure that her grandfather would be very grateful to see him, and she could not wait to be in the same room together, even if it was for just a few minutes. She clasped her hands together and stared at him, waiting for his answer. She stared at him with a little bit more attention and soon her smile began fading when she realized that both of them had been or were still crying.

"What's wrong?"

May's heart began pounding really fast. Her eyes went from Dehlia to Ash, back and forth. "May, I think you better sit down."

May walked backward without even looking as she did so. She used her hand to find the bed and slowly sat down. Dehlia sat next to her, and Ash pulled up a chair to sit in front of her. "Ash, you're scaring me."

Ash cleared his throat. Dehlia grabbed May's hand and used her other hand to place it on her shoulder. She looked at Ash and gave him a sign to begin telling her what they had been there to tell.

"May…Gary won't be coming here."

"What do you mean?"

Ash lowered his head. He had said that Gary was dead about three times in less than five minutes. He could not say it again. There had to be another way to say this. How could he break the news to Gary's sister? How could he tell May that her only brother in the world was dead? That all she had now was Professor Oak? How could you tell someone you hardly ever spoke to before that another small piece of her broken family was gone?

Ash could not make himself say it again. Tears began flowing again and he dug his small nails on his legs. Dehlia knew that Ash was about to break down. May's scared face could not look any worse. She cleared her throat to get her attention. May turned to face Dehlia who now had tears in her eyes again. She blinked them away before she spoke.

"May, Gary…Gary is with your parents now."

May's face was free of any expression now. She stared at Dehlia as she tried to read her expression. Dehlia was sobbing now but kept her eyes on the young girl. She turned to her left to look at Ash who was bawling and trying his best to control himself. Her eyes went back to Dehlia. "You're lying."

Dehlia shook her head. "I wish we were…but…we aren't."

May begun crying and sobbing. She covered her mouth with her hand and was able to mumble something that only Dehlia understood. "How? When?"

"I don't know." Dehlia finally replied.

May stood up and stopped in front of Ash and waited for him to acknowledge her. He looked up to her only to be slapped by her. He did not avoid it. He just took it and then looked down.

"YOU!" she pointed at him with her index finger. "You P-PROMISED ME!"

Ash could not find any words to use to defend himself. Not only did he not feel like defending himself, but he knew there was nothing he could say or do to make it better. Gary was gone and May had every right to be mad at him. He _had_ promised her he would watch over her brother, and he had failed her miserably.

"How _could_ you? He was my BROTHER? H-he w-was…a-all I…NOOO!"

May began sobbing loudly and fell to the floor. Ash slid from his chair to the floor to sit next to her, and tried to hug May but she pushed him away. "May, listen to me."

"No, you _lied_! You left him there to die!"

"May, I didn't know…that wasn't supposed to happen."

"Shut up! Just shut up! Do you know what it feels like to lose your family? Do you?"

"Gary _was_ like my family."

May repeatedly hit Ash's shoulders as hard as she could with her closed fists. Her crying increased. She took deep breaths only to exhale in quick sharp takes. She had to be dreaming. This could not be true.

"My little brother…Gary! NO! Why? Why did you leave me?"

May's cries did not help the situation. Ash tried to hug her again and she pushed him away, this time not as hard as last time. He allowed her to yell and hit him until she could not do it anymore. Once she was all out of strength, she allowed him to hug her and they both cried on each other's shoulder. They remained like this for a few minutes until May broke the embrace.

"How did it…?"

"Someone stabbed him."

"What?" May's eyes began filling with tears once again. As if it was not bad enough that her brother had died, he had been deprived of life in such a horrible and painful manner. She would find whoever had done this to him and she would make sure he paid. There would be time to mourn her brother, right now they had to tell Samuel.

"Have…you told…grandpa?" she asked in between sobs.

"No."

"We've got to tell him."

"I'll do it," Dehlia said. Her eyes were red from so much crying and her tears had formed trails over her makeup but she did not care. It was her turn to be there for Samuel Oak, and she was going to make sure she supported him as much as he had once supported her.

"But, Mrs. Ketchum…"

Dehlia stood up and patted May on her head as she went to the door. "May, call me Dehlia."

Ash stood up and helped May to her feet. He then followed his mother who was already out in the hall. "Take me to his room, please."

Ash nodded and the two women began following him to the second floor.

Once they arrived to the second floor, Ash remembered that he was yet to make sure Misty had made it to her room. Now that Gary was gone, he owed it to him to make sure the woman he had died for was alive and well. They walked to Samuel's room and unlocked the door. Ash opened the door to a very surprised Professor Oak. He had not expected any visitors any time soon since his dinner had already been served a long time ago. It was way past midnight, and no one should have been wandering around like this.

He was relived to see it was Ash, Dehlia and May who had joined him. His smile quickly fainted when he saw the look on their faces. Dehlia gave a knowing look to May and Ash and they quickly exited the room understanding she wanted some privacy with the Pokémon Professor. While it was appropriate that May stayed to tell her grandfather that Gary had passed away, they believed that he would feel more comfortable showing his feelings if it was Dehlia the only one in the room. Both young adults stepped out of the room and waited outside. Ash's eyes could not leave Misty's door while May's eyes could not leave Samuel's door.

Both youngsters allowed a few minutes to go by in complete silence.

Inside the room, Dehlia sat on the foot of the bed next to Samuel. His eyes were lost in space and he had forgotten he had a voice. Dehlia said nothing but held him in a sideway hug. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and squeezed him with her hands. Samuel choked back a sob as he inhaled broken breaths. "Are you certain?"

Dehlia nodded. "I've asked the same thing myself. I'm so sorry, Sam."

"How? How could this happen?"

Dehlia forced him to look at her. She placed a hand on his cheek and wiped his tears. He did not look as mortified as the rest of them, but she knew that he was crying a river inside.

"We don't know. Ash will make sure the person responsible for this is found."

Samuel nodded. "My…my _Gary_. I never told him…."

Dehlia's tears returned. She rested her forehead on his and cupped his face in her hands. "He knew, he knew."

"D-does May know?"

Dehlia nodded. "She is outside with Ash. She needs to see your strength."

"Yes, I know. But I don't think I have any right now. He was my b-boy…"

Finally, he broke down. He and Dehlia hugged and cried for a long time, Dehlia whispering comforting words in his ear. Outside in the hall, a very desperate Ash tapped the floor with his foot. May noticed his desperation and decided to ask about her.

"Where is she? Is she ok?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since we got here."

May nodded. For some reason, her brother had risked his life and career for this woman. She knew that Gary had fallen in love with Misty, and that she had been his demise. She could not help to feel resentment against her, but she also knew that she was completely unaware of what had happened. Misty had not caused this; she was just a victim just like Gary had been. For Gary's efforts, if for no other reason, she had to make sure that Misty made it through this so that her brother's death was not in vain.

"Why don't you go see her? I'll wait here."

Ash nodded and walked to the door next to Professor Oak's room. He unlocked the door and slowly stepped inside the room. The lights were off and he did not want to turn them on. He struggled around the room and used his cell phone's light to guide him around it. A few small lights that came from the machine became noticeable after his eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, but they were not enough to show him the way to her. He finally found the edge of the bed and slid his hand until he felt the pillows. He did not want to flash his cell phone light on her, so he got as close to her as he could without disturbing her.

Her breathing was even and relaxed; it seemed that the sedative was still in effect. He needed to tell her that Gary was gone, but he did not want to wake her up for it. He knew that she would not find out about it since the television had been taken out from this room, and without it or a computer, there was no way she could check the news. He caressed her cheek with his hand before placing a kiss on her hand and standing up. Being around such peace and quiet he realized he had not rested well in days. He needed to sleep for at least the rest of the night. The worse part of this situation was just starting, and he needed to be as aware as he could possible be.

He carefully walked back to the door and opened it. He took advantage of the light the hall provided him to stare at her one last time before closing the door. He looked up and saw May was staring at him with a wondering face. He nodded and walked back to her. "Maybe we should let them be alone for a while."

May looked back at the door and nodded. "You're right."

Ash knocked on the door before unlocking it again. Professor Oak was looking the other way and Dehlia was staring at her incoming son. He told her that they were going to leave now, and that she was allowed to stay there as long as he needed. She thanked him and said her good nights. Ash stepped out and locked the door again so that when she left, the door would automatically lock behind her. The last thing they needed was the suspicion that Samuel Oak was trying to escape his house arrest.

_"House arrest,"_ he thought as he looked around the hall. The door he was standing in front of was Samuel's room. The room to his left was Misty's and the room to his right was going to be Gary's. It was then he realized that he had not visited Misty's sisters in a long time. They _had_ been in house arrest longer than anyone had, anyway. He took a step backwards to look at the numbers on the doors. He began walking to his right and went down five doors and stopped. May followed him and stood behind him.

He knocked on the door a few times before unlocking it and opening the door. Ash gasped. He took a step inside and looked around the room. It was empty.

He took more steps inside and checked the closet, and the bathroom. Everything was cleaned and empty. He looked back at the door and confirmed the number of the room. _"Maybe they were moved."_

He exited the room and checked the one next to it. He found the same thing.

May stared at him without saying a word but still followed him. With every door he opened and closed, the search became more frantic. He began slamming doors and cursing under his breath. After almost an hour, he was done checking every room in the second floor. He knew that there was no way they would have been moved to another floor. This was the floor for their situation.

"Fuck, where are they?"

"Who are you looking for?"

Ash was startled a bit. He had forgotten she was still around. He turned around to face her. She was still crying but her sobbing had diminished considerably. "Is everything ok?"

Ash walked towards her and stood in front of her. He looked to the end of both halls and then stared at her face. "I'm not sure. I can't find Misty's sisters."

"What would they be doing here?"

"They got house arrested when the Gym burned down."

"When was the last time you saw them?"

Ash frowned. "I can't remember."

He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. Somehow, he was feeling unsafe in his home. "May, come with me. There's something I think you should have."

May nodded and followed Ash back to the fourth floor. He was glad to see that the Elite Four were nowhere to be seen. He could not deal with their sermons right now. In a matter of minutes, May and Ash were inside his office. May took a seat and Ash went to his hidden vault. He inputted the code and the vault was unlocked. He took something out that May could not see. He locked the vault again and walked towards May.

May eyed Ash and then the object he had in his hands. It was a pokebelt.

"It belonged to Gary. He gave them to me. He didn't want the League to get his Pokémon."

May's eyes began filling with tears again. Ash extended his arms and May held the belt in her hands. She stroked every single pokeball as she sobbed. Gary's initials had been stitched on the back of the belt. Ash extended his hand to her, asking for the belt. She looked up to him wondering what he wanted to do. Ash read her face and answered her unspoken question. "There is something that we must do."

May handed the pokebelt without a second thought and watched as Ash placed it on a machine that was on a table in the back of the room. He turned on the machine and he scanned every pokeball. He pressed a few buttons and after ten minutes, he took the belt back and turned on the machine. He looked around his office, and for the first time ever, he was grateful to have so much space.

He grabbed the first pokeball and called out the Pokémon in it. After a flash of red light, Electabuzz came out. The Pokémon stared at Ash and then at May and frowned. It was obvious the Pokémon was looking for his master or a battle to take on. "Give me a minute, Electabuzz."

The Pokémon recognized Ash as his master's friend, and May as his master's sister. He did as told and relaxed. Ash continued to call out the rest of the Pokémon, and soon enough the room was filled by Alakazam, Arcanine, Blastoise, Nidoqueen, and Venasaur. Every Pokémon recognized the humans in the room and waited for instruction. Ash walked towards them and asked May to stand up.

"We've got bad news. Gary, your master, has…passed away."

The Pokémon looked at each other and after a few exchanged nodded. Ash did not understand what had taken place, but he was soon to find out.

Electabuzz ran towards May and carried her from behind, restraining her arms without hurting her. May tried to scream but Nidoqueen placed a hand on her mouth. Venasaur used his whips to tie up Ash and lifted him off the ground. Alakazam walked towards Ash and started using his telekinetic powers on him. Ash did not resist. He understood that the Pokémon did not believe him and he was going to let them use their own methods to find out the truth. Arcanine stood next to Ash in an offensive stance in case he wanted to break free, while Blastoise supervised the scene.

A few minutes went by and Alakazam exchanged looks with Blastoise. Blastoise ordered the Pokémon to release them, and they carefully returned the two humans to the floor. Alakazam began communicating with Blastoise using telepathy, and Ash could see that the Pokémon had confirmed what he had said when Blastoise began whimpering. Soon all six Pokémon were whimpering and howling at learning their master was gone. Ash let them mourn for a few minutes while he cried a little bit more himself.

He used the back of his hand to wipe his tears and cleared his throat. "Ok, guys, if Alakazam told you everything, you know this is far from done."

The Pokémon nodded. "We still need to find who did this, and we will."

Blastoise took a step forward and told something to Alakazam. Alakazam nodded and took over Ash's mind again. After a few seconds, Ash shook his head and looked up at the Pokémon. Alakazam had just asked about Misty.

Ash was surprised to learn that Gary's Pokémon were worried about Misty's wellbeing too. He figured it had been the six months of training under the same roof. He knew Misty and Gary had bonded, but he had no idea their Pokémon had bonded too.

"She's fine. You can see her later if you want."

The Pokémon nodded. "Look, the League wants you to be registered under my name now, but I think that guys deserve to be given a chance to decide what you wanna do. As you know, this is May," he said as he pointed to her. "She's Gary's sister, and she can take you back to Pallet Town with her. Professor Oak's here too, in case you wanna go with him instead, but it might be a while."

The Pokémon talked among themselves for a while. May had no idea that Pokémon could understand human languages and did not know how human-like Pokémon really were. It was no wonder that so many people were interested in training them. She could see that the Pokémon could reason and had feelings, just like them.

Alakazam took over Ash's mind for the third time. Ash was getting used to this by now. The Pokémon decided which roads to take, but were going to let him know after they made sure the person responsible for their master's death was brought to justice. "Alright," Ash said. "For now, you'll be going with May. If the League doesn't know I have you guys, they can't take you away from us."

The Pokémon nodded in understanding and gave a slight nod to May. She returned the nod and then grabbed the pokebelt from Ash. She placed it around her waist and began calling back each Pokémon one by one. Neither of them resisted and when she was done she began crying again.

"I didn't know Gary's Pokémon were so close to him."

Ash smiled. "When you're out training, all you've got are you Pokémon. You'd be surprised how close to them you can get," he said as he recalled the memories of Pikachu.

May did not say a word. She stroked the pokeballs and belt, as she remembered her brother. She wished she could have had the chance to say goodbye to him. They all did.

Ash's remembrance got interrupted by the sound of his ringtone. Ash shook his head as he silenced the phone and read its screen. The phone number was restricted.

"Who the hell?"

May looked up to see Ash's frown as she sat down. Ash debated whether or not to answer the call but he figured he had nothing to lose. If Maya was looking for him, all she had to do was to call him to his office. This caller had to be someone else.

Ash picked up the phone as he walked to his seat. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Ask Ketchum."

"Well, hello Mr. Pokémon Master, I hope you ain't driving while answering this phone. You suck as a driver."

"What?"

"My leg still hurts, and so does my head."

Ash's eyes widened. "Butch?"

"Bingo."

"How the hell did you get this number?"

"Nolly gave it to me."

"What? Why?"

"Well, I've got several Pokémon activists up my ass, and several life sentences for murder, arson, and sexual assault. They promised me a better lodging if I told you some of the stuff I know."

"What makes you think I know something of use to me?" Ash knew Butch had valuable information, but he wanted to pretend that he did not so Butch would not be in a better comfort zone than he was.

"Look, I'll just make it quick, ok?"

"Shoot.'"

"Where are you now?"

"Home."

"Where?"

"Indigo Plateau."

"Oh, uh, no. nu-uh. You need to get out of there. You're fucked there."

"What do you mean?"

"You're in Team Rocket's territory now."

"What?"

"Ever wonder why no one has been able to find the new lair of Team Rocket?"

"Because you guys disbanded when your leader died?"

"Nope. Our new leader, Emily Dragon, took over and we moved to another place. And _you_ are living right above it."

"What the fuck are you saying?"

"You need to get out of there. The plans are almost complete, and you're gonna get caught in the middle. Emily Dragon has been planning this for years, and she ain't gonna stop for you."

"What? Who? Where is Emily Dragon?"

"Closer than you think."

Ash remembered Jake Dragon saying the exact same words. "Where is she?"

"Oh! That's right. She don't go by that name no more. You know her as Maya Amherst."

Ash's mouth dropped. He stared at May and then at the door. Butch had to be lying.

"Bullshit."

"You think? When was the last time you saw the Waterflower sisters? They are long gone, fool."

Ash clenched his jaw as he recalled he had been late to realize that. "That Professor is next, then Gary and then Misty."

"Gary is dead."

"What?"

"Gary was killed in jail. You're gonna tell me you didn't know?"

Butch chuckled. "Shit, that wasn't part of the plan. But who cares, it was gonna happen eventually."

"You son of a…"

Ash's words were cut by the power going out. The lights turned off and every machine in his office stopped. He waited for a few seconds but the electricity did not return.

"What happened kid? Cat got your tongue?"

"The power went out."

"You're fucked."

"What?"

"It's happening."

Ash heard a beep coming from his phone. His signal was lost. "What the hell?" He tried to call back but he soon realized that if Butch was right, his phone was not going to recover any signal. His phone had been given by him by the Pokémon League.

"May, can you see me?"

"No."

Ash stood up and walked around his desk to May's seat. He helped her stand up and held her shoulders. "May, there's something you should know."

May's heart began pounding as she heard what Ash had just learned. Butch had been right. They were all very much screwed up.


	10. House Arrest Part 2

**WARNING: This is the ASH and MISTY version of the sequel. If you want the GARY and MISTY version, please read OUTLAW.**

**Unbreakable**

**Chapter 10: House Arrest –Part 2**

May held on to Ash's hand as they slowly walked down the hall of the fourth floor. They had waited outside Maya's door after knocking several times but there had been no reply. The entire Pokémon HQ building was shut down. He had found no one wandering around with a flashlight or trying to find something to do about this dark. Ash was one of the members who had a hard time finding himself around the building, and the dark halls and moonless night did not make it easier to find the emergency stairs.

After Ash had told May what Butch had said, they had agreed that while they were not sure of the veracity of his confession, they had to get Dehlia, Misty and Samuel out of the place. They knew they could always blame Butch for making them escape, and they were sure not going to risk it being in the lair of Team Rocket.

Going down the emergency stairs as not easy; the emergency power had not started, so they had to go down the set of stairs to the third floor without any light but his useless cell phone. May and Dehlia had been made to turn in their cell phone while they were guests of Indigo Plateau, and while at the moment it had made sense, now that he thought about it, all these rules that had taken place in the past weeks seem like small steps for the most elaborate plan he had ever been part of.

Ash hit himself mentally. If Butch had told them nothing but the truth, then he himself had been part of this plotting against Misty and Gary. He had brought them to were Emily Dragon wanted, and one of them had met already met his fate. He just could not believe that Maya Amherst was Emily Dragon herself. As they walked down the dark stairs, his mind kept racing at all the now possible reasons why things had been the way they did. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how guilty he was of Gary's death, and Misty's burns.

_"I couldn't have known!"_

A tug on his shirt brought him back to real time. May had seen the door in front of them but Ash seemed to be not concentrating enough to notice it. He looked up and flashed the door with his cell phone and saw it was the door for the third floor. They had no idea if Dehlia was back to her room, but they could not risk not stopping by her room first. Ash carefully turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open a bit. He again used his lowly replacement for a flashlight and lighted either side of the hall. Everything was quiet and still.

"Let's go."

May followed him down the hall as they arrived to Dehlia's door. He did not even bother to knock and tried to unlock the door, but he soon realized that his card key was now useless. Without any power, all of the fancy electronic security the building had was now obsolete. _"Fuck."_

He began knocking loudly on the door and waited for a response each time. May soon realized what the situation was and began making noise like Ash did. They waited for several minutes and when they heard no response, they made their way back to the stairs and began going down to the second floor.

"Ash, how are we gonna open grandpa's door?"

Ash frowned. The truth was that he had no idea. He knew the receptionist had a regular non-electronic key that would open the doors, but he did not know how to ask for it. Perhaps he could say that he was moving the accused to a more secured facility, but they all knew that everything was locked. There was no need to move anyone out of anywhere. He could not pretend he needed it for his room because each floor had a different master key. There was no believable reason why he needed the master key for the second floor. That was, unless…

"Oh, shit."

"What?"

"Misty."

May frowned waiting for a more elaborate explanation of what Ash's worry was. Yes, they had to get Misty too but without the master key there was no way they could made it in. When Ash did not offer any more words of clarity, she spoke again. "What about her?"

"The power is out."

May sighed at Ash's statement of the obvious. She was getting tired of this game. "I know."

"The doctors said she had to be constantly monitored. The machines have turned off."

May gasped for a second but then smiled. "Ash! That's it! You can ask the receptionist for a master key to get Misty to safety!"

"You're right! Let's stop by Professor Oak's first. We can tell mom and him that we're gonna get them out of there."

"Ok."

When they finally reached the door for the second floor, Ash repeated his motion of opening the door only slightly and flashing either side of it. When the same quietness and stillness he had seen before welcomed him to the floor, he grabbed onto May's hand and guided her to Samuel's door.

He could not believe how quiet and still a building of this size could get. Where was everybody? There were at least three hundred people living in this place right now: janitors, electricians, scientists, technology specialists, flight engineers, pilots, cooks, trainers, doctors, nurses, League representatives, officers, and plenty of guests. Where the hell was everybody?

"Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we use Electabuzz to give us some light?"

Ash hit himself on the face. Why had it not occurred to him before?

"Yes!"

May grabbed her brother's belt around her waist and struggled to find the first pokeball. She remembered that the first Pokémon they had released was Electabuzz, and she was almost certain that Gary would teach him something as important as Flash to one of his Pokémon.

She finally found the pokeball and called him out. Electabuzz came out and waited for a command. "Electabuzz, we could use some flashing light here."

Electabuzz growled as he gathered up his energy and used Flash. In a matter of seconds, the entire floor was illuminated. Ash and May sped up to Professor Oak's door and slammed on it until their fists became tired. There was no response. May and Ash looked at each other as they wondered the same thing. Had Dehlia taken out Samuel? Had they both run out because of the power shut?

"You know what, May?"

"What?"

"I'm getting tired of this bullshit. Step back."

Ash chose one of his pokeballs and released its Pokémon. "Charizard, I choose you!"

A high-flying Charizard stepped out of the red flash of light. "Charizard, burn this door down," Ash said as he pointed to Samuel Oak's door. Charizard replied by exhaling smoke before he pumped up for a flamethrower attack.

Ash stood in front of May and she closed her eyes. The fire Charizard was emanating was so intense she wondered if Ash had not just made a mistake. After the attack was done, Ash called out Wartortle to water any remaining small fires. Ash told his Pokémon to wait outside and they complied. May and Ash went around the room and checked every corner of it. Samuel's clothes were gone.

"Do you think Maya took him somewhere else?"

"She would have told me."

"Unless…she _is_ Emily Dragon."

Ash did not make a comment but he knew that the more they searched, the more Butch's story seemed to be true. He grabbed another of his pokeballs and called out the Pokémon inside. "Gengar, I choose you."

Gengar appeared and Ash asked him to go through the wall as quietly and inconspicuous as possible to see if there was anyone in the next room. Gengar nodded and disappeared behind the wall. After a few seconds, he came back and told Ash what he had seen with his voice and gestures.

Ash's face paled. He slightly pushed May out of his way and ran outside the room, screaming at Charizard as he did so. "Burn down that motherfucking door!"

Charizard noticed the stress patterns on Ash's voice and complied right away. Without waiting for a command, Wartortle calmed down any remaining fires. A shadowy figure ran behind the bed and stood next to Misty's IV line. Ash was surprised to see that Misty's room had power and that her machines were still working.

"Do. not. move."

Ash took a step inside and turned on the light of Misty's room and gasped. Dawn Hall was standing next to Misty's bed with a syringe that contained a strange-looking black substance. May came inside as well and brought the Pokémon with her as well.

"Ash…what's she doing to Misty?"

Ash looked at Misty's left arm and saw it was purple and black around her elbow. Dawn was eying the IV line. "Ash, I didn't mean to do it. She forced me."

"Who forced you?"

"Emily. She wants Misty gone. It was her plan from the start."

"It might have been her plan, but you are the one killing her."

Dawn's eyes filled with tears. She was tired of this, of everything. If she had known what she had signed up when she became part of Team Rocket, she would have never joined them.

"I can't get out. It's too late. She's won."

"What do you mean she won?"

"She took your mom, and Professor Oak, and Misty's sisters. She's looking for you, Ash. She thought you left for Cerulean."

"Why would she think that?"

"Because Sergeant Nolly called saying you were there and you were very upset."

"But…"

Dawn began shaking. She lifted the syringe and with a shaking hand poked Misty's IV line. Ash took another step toward her and growled. "Don't you touch her!"

Dawn shook her head as she placed her thumb on the end of the syringe. "I've got no option."

"Yes, you do. Put it down."

"Ash, you DON'T understand!"

"No, I don't. What did Misty ever do to you?"

Dawn looked down at Misty and then back up at Ash. "N-nothing…but Emily has my parents and if I don't kill her, she'll kill them."

"What the fuck? And you haven't turned her in?"

"I didn't know she had them. I…I tried to quit when I was in Cerulean waiting for Gary, but she told me about my parents."

"We'll get your parents back, ok? Just, please just leave Misty alone."

Dawn began sobbing. She looked down at Misty and then at herself. Was Ash telling her truth? Would he really help her get her parents back? Or was he just saying it so she would not follow with her task and poison Misty?

"Does she really mean so much to you?"

Ash bit his lip. He did not know what kind of answer Dawn was looking for, and he was afraid that his honest reply would push her off her limits and ended up hurting Misty. Yet, he could not lie anymore. He could not pretend that seeing Misty in this situation was not affecting him. His heart was beating a thousand times per second, he was sweating and he was about to shut down. This night was not supposed to be like this. His two best friends were not supposed to die like this tonight.

"Dawn, I beg you. Please, please let her live. I promised you I'll get your parents back. Just tell me where they are. I swear to you on our baby that I will."

Dawn chuckled as she stroked her overgrown belly. "Don't swear on something that doesn't belong to you."

"What?"

Dawn looked up to face him and then smiled. "He…the baby…he is _not_ yours. Emily made me get pregnant so you would stay. She didn't want you around Misty so she could get rid of her. She…she was supposed to die in the fire. Gary was supposed to come here that night and die."

Ash took a deep breath. The baby was not his! He still had a chance to fix everyone's life. He could not just stand there any longer. He stared at Dawn so she would think he was thinking about her confession, but his mind was talking to someone else.

"Whose is it, then?"

"An old boyfriend of mine; his name is…"

"Jake Dragon," Ash said.

Dawn's eyes widened. "H-how did you know?"

"I've known about you and him for some time now. I was waiting for you to bring it up."

"Becca Gall told you, didn't she?"

Ash nodded. "After being beat up by him, she was very willing to talk to us."

Dawn got distracted by her Team Rocket communicator beeping. Ash took this opportunity to command the Pokémon to attack. In seconds, Alakazam released himself from his pokeball, targeted Dawn and the syringe in her hand. He made Dawn freeze and he removed the syringe from her hand, Charizard used his flamethrower and melted the artifact to nothing more than ashes.

Dawn tried to move but the power Alakazam was placing on her was too much. Ash went to Misty and disconnected her from all the machines. May went around turning them all off to avoid anymore giveaways of their location.

Dawn was unable to speak and could only see as Ash woke up Misty. She was very dizzy and drowsy, but Ash knew that they needed to get out of there. "Ash, I can't…please don't move me."

Ash grabbed Misty by her shoulders and shook her a little bit, forcing her to face him. She was still a little bruised and burned, and now had a purple bruise growing on the back of her elbow but he had to look passed that. All of their lives were in danger, and he needed her for the attack.

"Misty, Misty look at me. Snap out of it."

"Ash, my head hurts."

"I know, but there is something you've got to know. You sisters, they've been kidnapped and they are in danger."

Misty's eyes widened. She looked to her right and saw a paralyzed Dawn. She looked to her left and saw plenty of Pokémon and May. "What's going on?"

"We've got to fight, Misty. Not like our battles, but really fight. Team Rocket took your sisters, my mom, and Professor Oak. We've got to stop them."

Misty shook her head as she tried to fight the sedatives that were in her body. Ash took out her pokebelt and handed it to her. She stared at it for a second before realizing what it was. "I thought I lost it."

"Gary found it."

"Where's Gary?"

May's eyes stung. She looked away to hide her tears. Ash wished the situation had been different and he could tell her he had been kidnapped, or that he was just outside. Telling the others had been such a difficult task. Now that time was precious for their survival, he had to be direct and tell her something he hated to repeat. "Misty, I need you to be strong for me, ok?"

"What?"

"Gary didn't make it. He…_someone_ murdered him…in jail."

Misty stared at Ash and then at May. They both had tears coming from their eyes. He then realized that Alakazam was standing next to her. She whispered his name and Alakazam nodded. She then saw May had a Pokémon belt on her.

"Blastoise, I choose you," Misty said.

Immediately, the Pokémon came out and bowed to Misty. Misty began crying on the spot. The belt May was wearing belonged to Gary, and she knew that Gary would not leave his Pokémon stranded unless he was no longer around.

"God! Gary! NO!"

Misty's hands were shaking as she covered her face. She began sobbing and screaming. Ash placed his hands around her and she sobbed uncontrollably on his shoulder. "Tell me it's not true, Ash. Gary didn't leave us!"

"Misty," Ash said between tears. "He's still with us. He'll always be."

Ash could hear May crying in the background as well. When was this going to stop?

"G-Gary…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

"Misty, we've got to be strong for him. Ok? We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to find our families, get out of here, and then come back with reinforcements, ok?"

Misty took a deep breath. Ash was right. They would not be able to avenge Gary's death if they themselves were dead.

Misty nodded and dried her tears with the back of her hands. "Whoever it was, I'll make sure they get that they deserved. Gary didn't deserve that."

She tried to sound as tough as she could, but the truth was that her heart was broken. She felt guilty for his death, and she knew that many people would blame her for it. She could not blame them for it; everything pointed at her. She was not the one who killed him, but his passion and will to help her had sent him to his grave. If it was not for her, he would have never set foot in jail, and he would have never been murdered.

Misty pushed himself away from Ash and realized Dawn had not moved. She then looked at Alakazam's glowing hands and frowned. "What is going on?"

Ash looked at Dawn and gave her a warning glare. "Dawn was just about to tell us everything she knew, isn't that right?"

Dawn understood what Ash had meant. She had failed in her mission, and he was not going to allow her to do any more harm. Dawn knew that all she could do now was join them and help them help her setting her parents free. "Misty, we brought some of your clothes. Why don't you get dressed?"

Misty nodded and slowly got off from the bed. She walked towards the luggage that had been left on the floor and began looking for a change of clothes. Ash gave Alakazam a look to release Dawn from her constriction. Alakazam did as told but remained ready to stop her if she did something she was not supposed to do. Misty grabbed a set of clothes and went inside the bathroom to change, leaving the door slightly opened to hear what Dawn had to say. Dawn remained standing and watchful of her movements.

"There is no way we can get out of here. Emily sealed all the doors. Your little trick with Charizard wont work, and even if he did. If we leave, she's gonna kill our families as soon as we walk out the door."

"Where is she?"

"She is in the underground facilities. Team Rocket's lair is here."

"So, Emily Dragon is Maya?"

Dawn nodded. "Yes, she changed her name when she started getting better at Pokémon battling. She didn't want to be associated with her stupid brother. She dyed her hair, got contact lenses, created a whole new life for her. She wanted to take over the League like her husband hadn't been able to before he died."

"Her husband?"

"She was married to Giovanni, the former boss of Team Rocket."

"Wait, Giovanni? Of Viridian City?"

"Yes. He introduced her to Team Rocket when she battled him. They got married and a few months after that, Giovanni died of cancer."

"How come no one has said anything about that?"

"Because by then Maya had taken over the League; keeping those kinds of secrets is easy for the Pokémon President."

Misty stepped out of the bathroom and placed her pokebelt around her waist. She had been listening to what Dawn had been saying and it only made her blood boil. "Why does she want to kill me?"

Dawn looked behind her to stare at Misty. She was still visibly physically hurt. The outfit she had chosen did not hide her bruises or scrapes. Any other time Misty would have been mindful of hiding such horrible evidence of pain, but this was not any other time. This was just about enough she would take from anyone ever again.

"I don't know. I really don't. All I know is that she is bitter against your family and she wanted to take it out on you."

"My family?"

"Your parents," Ash said.

"What?"

"Your parents and Maya's –Emily's parents battled for the Cerulean Gym. Your parents won and her family went bankrupt for it. Then her parents died, and she was left all alone with Jake."

"But, that wasn't my parents' fault. They won that Gym fair and square!"

"I guess she doesn't think so."

Misty took a few steps toward Dawn and looked at her up and down. Dawn tried not to look very intimidated but the glare had made her shiver a little. "If you weren't pregnant I would beat the shit out of you."

She stared at her for a few more seconds and began walking towards Ash. "Come on, take us to our families. We've got some Team Rocket to kick ass."

Dawn gulped but walked towards then and stood in front of them. Maya and Ash called back their Pokémon, with the exception of Electabuzz. Misty did not know where she was getting the strength to walk around. She was still very tired, and in pain, but the adrenaline that everything she had learned provided her was enough for her to take another step. She was tired of running, and whoever was responsible for causing all of them so much misery was about to get a piece of their own medicine.

The four young adults walked down the stairs and followed Dawn to a part of the building Ash did not even know it existed. As they made their way there, Ash told Misty about his mom and Samuel being there, and how Butch had called him to tell them they were in danger.

The group continued to walk around and go down stairs and behind hidden doors. After almost fifteen minutes of walking, the four of them arrived to a steel door. May called back Electabuzz. Dawn stood in front of it and sighed. "This is it. Take the corridor and it will take you directly to our liar. Take a left at the corner and go down that hall. Take a right at the corner and open the fourth door on the left. Input the code TR9347. You'll find Misty's sisters there. I don't know where everyone else is. I'll have to go in and ask."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'll go the opposite way. Emily is expecting me."

Even though Dawn had lied to him since the beginning, and had attempted to tie him up to her by claiming she was pregnant from him, he could not help to worry about her. She had just betrayed Team Rocket, and by what he had heard and learned about the new phase of the Rockets, she had just signed her death will.

"I'll go with you," May said.

Everyone faced her and she shrugged. "I can't leave a pregnant woman on her own. She can say she found me somewhere and brought me here. I'll see where they take me and if I see my grandpa or your mom, I'll help them escape."

"I don't like this," Ash said.

"I wasn't asking for your permission."

Ash smirked. As sweet as she was, she was still an Oak. She grabbed the pokeballs and placed them inside her pockets. She stood next to Dawn, and told her she was ready to be kidnapped. Dawn kneeled down and pulled out a small handgun from her boot. They all stared at her in disbelief. She cocked the gun and inputted a code on the door and it immediately opened. When she noticed everyone was looking at her gun she shrugged. "The Team Rocket you knew no longer exists. Pokémon trafficking is not our goal anymore."

Dawn tilted her head to tell May to walk ahead of her. May complied. Ash and Misty followed her. When they reached the end of the corridor, they split into two groups. May continued in front of Dawn, who pointed the gun at her. Ash and Misty ran to the left. Ash looked back to see the back of May until they disappeared behind a corner. He then turned to his front and began following Misty as she mumbled the instructions Dawn had given them.

After a few turns, and a code input, Ash and Misty stood inside the room they have been told. They were disappointed to see there was no one there. Misty stared at Ash and growled. "Do you think she lied to us?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to believe anymore."

"Let's go back and try to find her."

"Alright."

Ash and Misty walked out of the room and headed back the way they came. They tried to go back exactly but a few members of Team Rocket forced them to take some detours. After a few too many turns, they were lost in the maze that was Team Rocket's liar. They tried to go back to the route they knew, but every time they would see a member of Team Rocket walking around. They finally reached a dead end and had no other option but to go back. He hated wasting time when there was a possibility his mom or any of the other hostages were being tortured…or worse.

"Dammit!" Ash was growing desperate. He could not believe how stupid he had been to let May go with an armed Dawn. Misty tried to guess the codes for the doors around them but she had no luck. Ash took out his Gengar and ordered him to establish a psychic connection with Alakazam. Gengar began glowing purple and his eyes became completely white. After the Pokémon returned to consciousness, Ash asked him to guide them to Alakazam. Gengar nodded and they began following the floating Pokémon.

Gengar took them through a route they had not been before, and they would stop at every corner. Gengar would then become invisible and search the next hall. When he made sure it was clear, he would call them to follow him and the search would continue. Eventually, the trio was led to an elevator. To their luck, the elevator was locked.

"My turn," Misty said. She took out her Psyduck and asked him to use his powers to disable the lock. Psyduck did as instructed and after a few seconds, Psyduck had been called back and they were heading down to the fourth basement.

Misty glanced at Ash from the corner of her eye. She had not been able to admire his persona. Somehow and sometime between their first encounter when she fish him out of the river, and when he had walked inside her hospital room, Ash Ketchum had changed. He was no longer a little boy; he had become a man. She looked down at herself and was amazed to realize that the same had happened to her, to all of them. Brock was a man, her sisters were women, Gary was…

"_Gary,"_ Misty thought as she bit her lip to keep her from crying again. She would have time to cry for him all she wanted. Right now, Gary needed her to be strong and help Ash. She owed Gary to make sure his sister made it out of this predicament alive. _"She wasn't supposed to be caught in the middle of this."_

The elevator beep brought her back to reality as the final thud told them they had arrived to fourth basement. The elevator doors open to show a dark room. Both trainers stepped out of the elevator, and the only light coming from it soon disappeared when the doors closed. The room was so quiet they could hear themselves breathe. Ash slowly moved his hand around to find Misty's hand. She grabbed his hand and pressed on it a little bit too hard. Ash held back a whimper as he found one of his pokeballs.

"Charizard, I choose…"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ash."

A familiar voice made him stop in his tracks. The lights of the room began coming on row by row starting on their side of the room, and with each passing row a dozen of Rockets were made visible. The room they were in was incredibly large. When the lights turned on at the end of the room, Ash and Misty gasped.

The scene was one to remember. Maya Amherst was sitting on a chair on the back of the room, holding a glass of wine. Hundreds of members of Team Rocket surrounded the room, all with pokeballs ready to release Pokémon from as they gave them smug smiles. At the back of the room behind Maya was Dehlia, Samuel and Misty's sisters, chained to the wall. May was holding onto a fallen Dawn who was bleeding on the floor.

"Ash, Maya shot her."

"That bitch thought she could fool me. I knew she would end up betraying me. She was never that strong."

"Damn you, Emily."

Emily smiled. "I don't go by that name anymore, Pokémon Master. My name is Maya Amherst. But, hey, you should know that, right?"

Ash clenched his fists and eyed his surroundings. They had fallen into a trap and no one knew they were there. It was up to them to fight to get the heck out of their lair.

"So, Misty, are you sad that your other boyfriend died? He had it coming, you know?"

Misty growled and cursed her out under her breath. She could not think straight right now; she needed a few more minutes. She saw that Ash was trying to establish psychic communication with Alakazam. She saw the chance and she took it.

"Why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you?"

Maya chuckled. "You mean my sorry excuse for a brother didn't tell you?" Misty did not reply or made any gesture to let her know that she did not know anything. Maya took this as negative response. "I guess not."

Maya stood up from her chair and began walking to them. She took a sip of her wine and cleared her throat. She smiled as she began the road down memory lane.

"You know, I used to be like you; full of dreams, part of a family, part of something…important."

She took another step and eyed her assistants. "We all were, weren't we?" she asked the Rockets and they all cheered and agreed with her. "But it was people like you that killed our happiness. People like you, Gary Oak; people who had everything handed to them. They didn't have to fight for anything. Success was just handed to them."

"That's not…"

"Shut up!" Maya yelled. Misty bit her lip and eyed at Ash, he was still trying to contact Alakazam.

"Anyway, after your parents stole the gym from us, our family was broke. We were so sure we were going to win. We _deserved_ to win. Everything was going bad for us. We lost our home and our cars. My parents had quit their jobs to devote to Pokémon trainings, and we had used our life savings getting ready for it. You cheat us out of it, you and your stupid parents."

Maya took another sip of her wine and took another step. Her dark blue dress was tight to her body. Her shoulders were exposed and so was part of her left leg. The dress stopped right below her knees. Her blue hair was held in a ponytail. She was wearing high-heels and two belts around her waist. One had her Pokémon, and the other one carried a gun. Misty swallowed hard. Neither of them had a gun.

"We were living day by day, always fighting and crying. Until one day we got a call from one of the Gyms in the Orange Islands. They needed gym leaders and they had liked my parents." Maya chuckled. "We were so excited about it. My parents left as soon as possible in that chopper they sent, but they never came back."

"I'm sorry your parents died, Maya," Misty began. "I lost mine too, I know how it feels."

Maya laughed. "I know you lost them too. I wanted to make sure you felt what I had felt. Sucks, doesn't it?"

Misty's eyes widened. Had she understood her correctly? Did Maya have something to do with her parents' deaths?

"What are you saying?"

"Your parents were too trusting. They should have checked that plane before they took off."

"You…bitch…"

Maya laughed out loud. She took another sip of her wine and then threw the glass to the floor, shattering on impact.

"I was sure you would lose the Gym, but no! The stupid weaklings at the League gave it to your and your idiotic sisters," she said as she pointed to the older Waterflower sisters.

"Not only had I lost my parents, I was stuck raising this idiot I have for a brother, and you had inherited a Gym that did not belong to you!"

"I didn't ask for it! I was just a baby!"

"Perhaps, but that didn't matter. I started by own trainer life when Jake was old enough to take care of himself. I was so old! All the other trainers my age had so many badges and experience. I was older than your sisters and they had a Gym they didn't even know how to run."

"We didn't know any better."

"Please! Give me a break! Your sisters were handing out badges left and right, to everyone. To everyone but me!"

Misty looked at Ash one last time and saw he was growing frustrated. He pulled her closer when he realized that his little plan was not going to work. Alakazam was out of reach for some reason, and he had little time to come up with a second plan to get out of there. Maya continued he story.

"I remember like it was yesterday. I had been trying and trying to get the Cascade Badge. I couldn't understand why it was so hard for me. All the other kids got their badges, and I couldn't get mine. One day I waited for hours to get a chance to fight Daisy. There was this one spike-hair looking kid with a long purple shirt sitting in front of me. He was to go after me. That stupid little kid, so full of himself. Everyone knew he got royal treatment because of his last name."

"Gary?"

Maya smiled. "The _dead_ Gary."

Misty growled. "You had him killed."

"He was scheduled to be killed. Someone else was nice enough to do me a favor. I had nothing to do with it."

"You…"

Maya took out her gun and shot them at their feet. The bullet was not aimed to hurt them but to startle them. When Maya saw that she had been successful in her attempt, she smiled and returned her gun to its belt.

"I lost the battle again. I was mad, very mad. I left the Gym and when I was half way to the Pokémon Center I realized Gary Oak had been next. I wanted to see the kid fail, so I went back. I hid behind some bleachers in the Gym and that was when I saw it happen."

Maya walked back to the back of the room. She stood in front of Daisy and glared at her. "This fucking bitch handed the badge to Gary _without _a fight. It was the first time he had been there, and she just _gave_ him the badge! I had tried so many times and she didn't hand it to me? She was sold by the name. He didn't have to work for anything!"

Maya looked at Daisy up and down. She took out her gun again and shot Daisy on her foot. Daisy screamed as tears began pouring from her eyes. The pain was immense. Maya laughed.

"Daisy!" Misty yelled from the back. Maya stepped on Daisy's shot foot and then nonchalantly walked back to the middle of the room. "You took something away from me, and so did he. He's paid for his sins, and now you will."

Misty clenched her jaw. She eyed her sister and her heart broke to see her sobbing and moaning in pain. She had to do something. She just could not stand seeing them get hurt like this.

"What did I ever do to you, Maya?"

Maya looked at Ash as she walked towards him. She had not retracted her gun, so Ash was very careful and made no sudden movements. Maya stopped in front of him and grabbed his chin with her free hand. "You didn't do anything. You were merely a tool for my plan."

"What?"

"Yes. It was so easy to break you apart. I knew what you wanted, and I could give it you. You are strong around your friends, but you are nothing without them. First, I made you break up with her. This killed two birds with one stone. She was left alone, and you lost one of your safety nets. I them changed the rules so Brock had to stay in Pewter City. I had already blackmailed and sent Gary to Cerulean. There was only one more friend to deal with."

Ash looked into her eyes, not daring to say a thing or look away. He knew she was looking for pain in his eyes, but he offered nothing more than hatred for her. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his lips that he did not return. "You were too old to be carrying around a Pikachu like that."

Ash frowned at her statement. He had to use all of his willpower to not let go of Misty and jump on Maya to beat her up.

"What are you saying?"

"Ever wonder why Pikachu was so weak?" She said as she caressed his left cheek with her gun. "Why he was always falling ill? We've got the best doctors and scientists here. Their poison was almost untraceable. I struck a gold mine when that storm made the power go out. That little rat worked himself to death."

She then tilted her head to stare at Misty who was standing behind him. "You would've suffered the same fate if Dawn hadn't betrayed me."

Ash's mind recalled the image of Dawn holding the syringe above Misty's sleeping body. Dawn was sent to kill Misty; kill her the same way Maya had killed Pikachu.

Maya looked down and saw Ash was holding Misty's hand. She then looked up and stared at Misty as she smirked. "I see you forgot about Gary. That was quick. He isn't a good kisser?"

Ash could feel Misty's grip get tighter. She was getting really mad.

"Oh well. My work here is done." She walked towards the front of the room and kicked Dawn while she headed to a box next to her. She took out syringe that looked awfully like the one Dawn had been holding just moments ago. She smiled at them and then snapped her fingers. "Finish them," she told the Rockets.

Ash was able to see Maya heading to his mother to inject her. "Mom!"

Ash's view was cut by the members of Team Rocket. They all smiled and walked slowly towards them. Misty let go of Ash's hand and rested her back against his. The Rockets began calling out their Pokémon, and the two trainers took this as their cue. The trainers were surrounded by an army of Pokémon: Psyduck, Starmie, Gyrados, and Dragonite from Misty's side; Charizard, Ivysaur, Wartortle, Gengar, Golduck and Cloyster. Gyrados circled around the trainers to protect them, forcing the Rockets to take a few steps down. They heard May struggle against Maya and scream to stay away from her. Misty saw her sisters on the floor.

"Ash, she got them all."

"No."

The Rockets grew impatient at the lack of offensive attacks coming from the trainers and decided to begin. The Team Rocket that Ash and Misty had known was really gone. The Pokémon were not attacking their Pokémon; the Rockets' Pokémon were trying to kill the trainers.

A Raticate jumped in between two Pokémon and bit Misty's leg. She screamed in pain and tried to wiggle the Pokémon away. She had never hurt a Pokémon, and she could not make herself kick the Pokémon out of her. Ash had never injured a Pokémon ever before, but by the looks of it, it seemed that he would have to break his trainer oath. "Misty, we've got to fight back!"

"But Ash, the Pokémon just follow orders."

"We've got to! Maya already injected all of them. We need to break free!"

Misty looked around and saw Starmie flush Raticate out of Misty's leg. More and more Pokémon appeared and more and more Rockets came out of nowhere. Ash was right. If they were to survive this, they would have to fight like they had never fought before. "Ok."

"Gyrados, hyperbeam the Rockets!"

The Rockets took a step back when they saw the giant serpent hunch its back. The amount of energy the shiny Gyrados was able to gather was above any other Gyrados Ash had ever seen. Not even Lance's Gyrados was able to sum of so much energy. He had no idea how much Gary and Misty had trained those six months, but he was soon to find out. He was standing in the front row for an amazing show.

The moment Gyrados unleashed of his attack, one fourth of the Rockets around them disappeared under a cloud of energy that burned them down to their knees. The other Rockets stared at the mighty Gyrados and its trainer that was now jumping on him. Ash had never seen Misty so determined and in control. He shook his head and ordered his Cloyster to ice a perimeter around them. The Pokémon did as told and soon the Rockets were having a hard time standing in their own two feet.

"Gyrados, recharge."

Ash turned again and saw Gyrados recharge without breaking a sweat. Usually, Gyrados were not able to use Hyperbeam twice in a row before using another sort of attack to regain their energy. Misty had absolute confidence that her shiny Gyrados would do the trick. Ash commanded his Charizard to burn anyone who got near them. Some of the Rockets Pokémon tried to reach them, but Golduck and Psyduck were quick to use their telekinetic powers and slammed against Rocket members.

Ivysaur used its vine whips to lash the Rockets. When one of the Rockets tried to use his knife to chop them off, Wartortle used Surf to wash them out of the way. Dragonite joined Gyrados in their job to fry any Rocket member that got neat them. Even though they were not showing it, both trainers were afraid of what they were doing. They had never hurt people to the point of nearly killing them, but there was always a first time for everything, and it was either the Rockets' lives or theirs.

Ash ordered Gengar to find Gary's Pokémon. Ash had not been able to establish a psychic link between him and Alakazam, but he hoped the ghostly Pokémon would be more successful. Gengar became invisible and began looking for the psychic Pokémon. Ash saw it disappear and concentrated on the battle. They had gained some ground, but more Rockets kept coming at them.

"Misty! We've got to start moving back."

Misty nodded and asked Gyrados to slowly move in reverse. The snake crawled back as he alternated between Lare, Hydropump, Bite and Hyperbeam attacks. The other Pokémon moved around him and so did the trainers. The Rockets threw their Pokémon at them and tried to attack themselves, but they were unable to do anything against the shiny Gyrados.

"You're doing an awesome job, Gyrados." Misty said as she patted his back as he rode him.

Misty eyed the immobile bodies at the back of the room. It was hard to see where May was, with so many Rockets behind them. She hoped that she was alright. She looked down and saw Ash as he directed his Pokémon to protect himself and the others. Someone had to go tend to their fallen comrades. She took a deep breath and yelled at him.

"ASH!"

Ash looked up to her and nodded. "Ash, you need to go see your mom. Find out how they are."

"I'm not going to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine! Take Dragonite!"

The Pokémon faced his trainer at the mention of his name. "Dragonite, protect Ash while he goes to help the rest."

Dragonite nodded and flew towards the Pokémon Master. "Stay behind me, ok?"

The Pokémon nodded again and flew closely behind him. Ash punched and dodged Rockets that Dragonite could not get right away. The closer he ran to where his mom rested on the floor, the more energy he gathered to reach them. He looked around trying to find May but she was nowhere to be found. Dawn, on the other hand, was still on the floor; a pool of bleed underneath her.

"Dammit!"

Ash deviated from his path and reached Dawn. Her eyes were half closed, tears ran down her cheeks, and her body was becoming cold. She stared at Ash and sobbed. "I-I'm r-really sor-r-ry."

"Ssshh, save it ok? We're gonna get ya outta here."

Dawn raised her shaking hand and stroked his cheek. "Please…save my parents."

Ash nodded and tried to lift her up but her heartbreaking scream stopped him from doing so.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Ash, j-just let me be. I've been blee-d-ding for a long time. Maya d-d-didn't even let me s-s-say anything. She asked o-o-one of the R-R-R-Rockets to pull May aside and she shot me right a-a-away."

Ash could not help sad for the girl. All she had wanted was to fit in, and then to save what she had left of her family. Maya Amherst was a sadistic criminal and she needed to pay for everything she had done.

"Dawn, you gotta…"

Ash was interrupted when a Rocket threw a knife at him. He bent down over Dawn and then looked back to see the trajectory of the weapon. When he saw it had landed away from anyone's reach, he leaned back and continued to talk to Dawn. "I need you hold to for me, ok?"

Dawn did not respond. The grip she had on Ash's arm began to soften until her arm hung on the side. "Dawn?"

Ash looked down at Dawn, and saw her eyes had stopped moving and were wide open. Ash shook her lightly at first, and then with full force. "Dammit, Dawn, wake up!"

Dawn did not move or make a sound. Ash began crying over her dead body. She did not deserve to go like this. He touched her belly and sobbed. _"Baby…"_ even if it was not his, the baby had no guilt. "Fuck you, Maya."

He wiped his tears and lay Dawn on the floor. He looked around for the knife that had been thrown at him and finally found it. His eyes were filled with the same determination he had seen on Misty's eyes when she ordered her Gyrados to fry the members of Team Rocket. It was payback time.

Ash began making his way to his friends and family. A few members of Team Rocket tried to take on him, but Ash stabbed them with the knife he had found. He did not even look back to make sure they were down for the count. All he wanted was to reach them before it was too late.

When he finally made it, he bent down to check on their vital signs. They were all still breathing and their hearts were beating. He did not know how much poison Maya had injected them with, but they seemed to be holding for now. Ash looked back to stare at Misty, she was holding her own but the Pokémon seemed to be getting tired. He looked around to look for May but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Gengar! Where are you?"

The Pokémon did not respond. "Shit."

Ash began picking up pace to rejoin Misty, but a hard and hot pain hit his right shoulder. He flew back and landed on his side. "Son of a bitch…"

His left hand went to his shoulder, and when he removed it his hand was stained with his own blood. "Who the fuck…"

A kick from a pointy high-heel hit his stomach. He growled and then looked up, still on his side. Maya was giving him a big smile. "Thought you could win that easy?"

Ash tried to lift himself up but Maya pushed him back. She was not very strong, but the heel of her shoe hurt his back, forcing him to kiss the floor once again. "Gengar, please…" Ash whispered.

Maya looked to her right and saw that Misty's Gyrados was beating her underlings. She lifted her gun and aimed at the shiny Pokémon. She fired.

A growl and a thud later, Gyrados was on the floor crushing Misty. She frantically looked for her pokeball and when she found it, she called back the Pokémon. The Rockets took advantage of this distraction and attacked all at once. Before she could react, three of Maya's henchmen grabbed her and pointed a knife to her throat.

"Tell your Pokémon to stop."

Misty looked at her Pokémon and then at Ash who was still stuck to the floor with Maya's foot on his back. She did not need to tell her Pokémon to stop as they called themselves back into their pokeballs. The Rockets pulled her belt and threw it to the front until Maya had it. She placed it around her waist on top of her own Pokémon belt. "I've had just about enough of you."

She began walking towards Misty, and ordered her henchmen to hold on to Ash. He was able to see a tied up May in one of the corners of the room. "We're screwed."

"That, you are," Maya said as she walked to Misty.

Maya pointed the gun to her stomach and smiled. "You should've died on that fire. Do you know how much you fucked up my plans?"

Misty did not reply. Maya moved her gun from her stomach to her chest and then to her forehead. "Where do you want it?"

Ash yelled at Maya to leave her alone until a member of Team Rocket punched him on the stomach. Maya unbuckled Misty belt and placed on top of Ash's belt around her waist. She took a few steps back and smirked. "Do as you please with her."

The male members of Team Rocket smiled and soon pressed Misty against the floor. She began screaming only to be silenced by a slap. She tried to break free from them but they were too many and too strong. She screamed again and was again silenced by a slap. Ash began screaming her name and pulling away from the henchmen. Maya walked towards him and pointed the gun to his forehead. "What am I gonna do with you, I swear."

Ash's eyes filled with tears and anger as he heard Misty's clothes being torn. She had stopped screaming and was now sobbing and pleading. Maya smiled. "I know."

She took a few steps back and pointed the gun to his face. She cocked the gun and aimed. "Say hi to Gary for me."

She released the lock and fired. Ash closed his eyes and waited for his fate to arrive.

Silence.

When he did not feel any pain, he swore he had been killed instantly. He opened his eyes and gasped.

The bullet had stopped a mere inch away from him. "What in the world?"

He looked to either side, afraid of making any sudden movements. Maya was standing in front him where she had been when he closed his eyes, but she was not moving. He looked around at her henchmen, and no one was making a sound or movement. He swallowed the lump in his throat and dared to open his mouth. "M-Misty?"

"Ash?"

He carefully slid away from the grasp of the Rockets and walked around the bullet. He then walked to Maya and waved his hand up and down in front of her. She did not react. He took the pokebelts from her and replaced his own on his waist.

He realized everyone in the room was frozen in time, with the exception of him and Misty. He ran to Misty and pulled her out. Her shirt was torn and her bra was exposed. He took off his shirt and placed it on her. He hugged her tightly and she shook uncontrollably in his arms. "Ash, what happened?"

"I don't know."

He placed her pokebelt around her waist and buckled it. The Pokémon Master looked around and smiled when he saw a familiar face. Alakazam and all of Gary's Pokémon were floating in the air. Gengar allowed them land on the floor and aided Alakazam to keep the gangsters and their boss frozen.

"Where had you guys been?"

The Pokémon shrugged and ran to the back of the room. Blastoise carried May and Dehlia. Nidoqueen carried Daisy and Violet. Venasaur carried Lily and Samuel. Ash placed Dawn's body on Arcanine's back.

"How much longer will you think they can hold?"

"Not much."

Ash and Misty guided the Pokémon back to the elevator. There was no way they could all make it out through there. The Pokémon were too heavy to lift at the same time. "What if just make a hole on the ceiling and take it from there?"

"Good idea," Ash said.

Misty called out her Dragonite and asked him to make a hole on every floor he saw until he reached the first floor. Dragonite did as told and before they knew it, every floor had a hole big enough to take each Pokémon one by one. Golduck and Psyduck were called out and asked to lift each Pokémon to the surface. The paralysis was wearing off as some of the members of Team Rocket were starting to mumble. "Hurry!"

Psyduck and Golduck sped up and only Ash and Misty were left when the Rockets had began slightly moving again. Ash called back Alakazam and all four of them made it out. Once they were on the firs floor again, Misty called out her Gyrados one more time. The Pokémon whimpered when called but was ready to help his master.

"Gyrados, I know you're hurt but, please use your Hyperbeam one last time. Blast those doors open."

Gyrados nodded and prepared to charge. Only one door separated them from freedom. Gyrados charged more than he usually did and unleashed his beam with the last of his energy. The Pokémon returned to his pokeball on its own and the other Pokémon were quick to get out. Misty stayed behind and helped Ash stand up. He was exhausted and his shoulder hurt very much.

She placed an arm around his waist and he rested his good arm on her shoulders. "Come on, Ash. Let's go home."

They began walking amidst the yelling they heard coming from the fourth basement. By the time they got here, it would be too late for them. Misty smiled as she saw the blasted door in front of them. She helped Ash with every step of the way. "We're almost there, Ash. Hang on!"

Ash gave her a sideways smile. He was in a lot of pain but he did not want her to know. He knew he would survive but the pain was intense. The sun was coming out in Indigo Plateau and both trainers welcomed it with smiles. Two feet separated them from the door.

Then a shot was fired.

Misty fell to the floor.

Ash fell down with her.

Misty cried in pain. She had been shot on her leg. Ash called her name.

"Fuck! I should've taken her gun!"

The two trainers turned around, their bodies still on the floor. They began crawling backwards using their arms as Maya slowly made her way to them. She had used her Fearrow to get out of the fourth basement the same way they had.

"I'm not done with you."

Ash and Misty reached the outside world, but their Pokémon where nowhere to be seen. Maya stepped out and pointed her gun at them. "I've only got two bullets left, and they've got your names on it."

Ash grabbed Misty's hand and closed his eyes.

"For what is worth, Misty. I always loved you."

Misty looked at Ash and tightened her grip on his hand. "See you on the other side, Ash."

The trainers closed their eyes and heard one, two, three gunshots. They waited for blood, for pain, but neither arrived.

They opened their eyes and saw Maya on the floor.

"Maya Amherst, drop your weapon."

Maya had been shot on both her legs and her hand. With a thud and a growl she fell on her knees. Ash and Misty turned back to see an entire army of_ real_ police officers behind them. The nightmare was over.


	11. Epilogue

**WARNING: This is the ASH and MISTY version of the sequel. If you want the GARY and MISTY version, please read OUTLAW.**

**Unbreakable**

**Epilogue**

Misty's eyes were fixed on the sunset that was visible in her current location above the famous hill in Pallet Town. Clouds were nowhere to be seen, and the last gleams of the sun bathed her body. Even as it was disappearing behind the horizon, the sun's warmth was still powerful on her skin. She did not remember how, why or when she had come to the hill or to Pallet Town for that matter, but she did not bother to recall. She flexed her legs and held them close to her body as she rested her chin on her knees. A cool breeze amidst all the warmness embraced her. She welcomed it with open arms.

She looked away from the beautiful scene Mother Nature was providing her, only to feel a presence sit to her left. She felt uneasy for a second, as she had not heard anyone or anything making its way to her side. She took a deep but quiet breath. She wet her lips and swallowed hard. She did not believe anything could ruin this perfect moment, but she had been wrong in the past on one too many occasions to count.

She returned her eyes to the sun and tried to look completely calm as her peripheral vision tried its best to determine the identity of the newcomer. She could only make a pair of torn jeans, sneakers, and a light green shirt with yellow stripes on the end of the long sleeves. She remained silent and focusing her eyes on the almost gone sunset. A few stars had made their appearance, but the last glorious presence of the sun still overpowered their shine. She tried to think fast as to what she was to do about the intruder. He had not spoken a word, and she refused to be the first one to do so. Perhaps it was just Ash; perhaps it was just a random resident of Pallet Town.

"I'm glad to see your doing much better. I was really worried about you when I left."

Misty's voice got caught in her throat. Her heart began beating so fast she could hear it pound on her temples. Her mouth became dry and a feeling of fear engulfed her entire body. She was unable to move, think, or speak, even though all she wanted at the moment was to scream. She would recognize that voice anywhere. She was fond of the owner but for some reason his presence did not seem right.

She used all of her willpower to turn to her left and face him. His smile was as smug as ever, and his pose showed his playboy mannerisms had not disappeared. "G-Gary?"

The boy's smile became wider. She let go of her legs and moved her body so that she was completely facing him. She lifted her right hand and allowed her fingertips to touch the smooth skin on his face. She did not know why, but tears began failing down her cheeks. Gary's face hardened at the sight of her tears.

"What's wrong?"

Misty retracted her hand from his face and curled it up on her chest. "I-I don't know why," she said as she slowly shook her head.

Gary tilted his face and raised his left hand to touch her face with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes and welcomed his touch by pressing her cheek against his hand. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. She did not know why, but the tears just kept coming.

"I've missed you." He said.

Misty could not understand why he would miss her. Were they not working together at the Gym? Or had she ended up at the hospital again? Her eyes scanned his face and then her surroundings as her mind tried to put the missing pieces of the puzzle together. She returned her glance to Gary, who was now the one with a saddened face. "You look beautiful."

Misty blushed lightly at the playboy's words. It did not mater how long she knew him, or how much time they had spent together, his flirting ways would never cease to amaze her. He gave him the widest smile he could, proud of his accomplishment. She returned the smile and was about to speak but his fingers covered her mouth. He leaned forward to her, and without further warning, he pressed his lips against hers. She welcomed them and placed her arms around him, not fully aware of what she was doing at first.

He grabbed her by her waist and they stood as high as they could while still on their knees. Her petite body was being crushed by his embrace, but she did not care. His lips were so warm and tender, and his caresses full of long-awaited passion that just needed to be released. Tears formed in her eyes once again, and he felt some of them made their way to his face. He did not care. He only had one chance and he was not going to ruin it. He carefully pushed her to the grass and held his weight with his arms but allowed some of his weight to fall on her. The weight was not enough to crush her, but enough to make her shiver.

She could not speak, she could not think, she could not stop. All she could do was hold him with the same urge he held her, and bathe him with kisses he had waited for such a long time. A few moments after their exchanges, he lifted himself a little bit above her, just enough to see her face. He wanted to memorize her face, her lines, and her curves. He wanted to take a detailed image of her entire body and be able to trace it without the need of her being there. He wanted to love her every night and be able to see a smile of satisfaction every morning. He wanted to do so many things, but he knew he did not have the time.

Time; his worst enemy.

Glazing up to his eyes she allowed herself to think. Something just was not right. This felt good, but something seemed to be out of place. He placed on last slow kiss on her that ended with a small bite on her bottom lip. "You've suffered long enough, Misty. You've got to let go."

"Let go? Of what?"

"Me."

Misty's face changed as she realized what he had meant. Tears flowed like a river now as she understood what he meant. This moment, this image of him was not real. Gary had died, a long time ago.

"Why did you leave us? Me?"

"It was my time."

"But…you had so many dreams…"

He silenced her with another kiss. "And so do you, and a man who has been waiting for you, for your forgiveness. You two are meant for each other. Open up your heart to him again. He's paid too many times for what he did."

"But…I can't…you…"

"Yes, you can. I'll always be around."

Misty knew he was saying goodbye. His death had been so abrupt that he was not given the chance. Here he was, a year after his death, coming back to her to tell her to move on with her life.

"Your parents are very proud of you."

Misty could not hold her sobs anymore. She pulled Gary down to her and embrace him, tears flowing on his shoulder as his own tears escaped him as well. He composed himself quickly. He could not let her see him like this, not for the last time.

Her sobs lessened as he helped her stand up to her own two feet. He looked at the last rays of sun and frowned. This was his cue. He had to go.

"Will…will I ever see you again?"

"Not any time soon, Red."

"Red; I always liked that nickname."

Misty gave Gary one last hug and a final look at his eyes. She knew that the moment she looked away, he would be gone forever. Gary looked at the lonely house several feet away from the hill. "He's waiting for you, Misty."

Misty nodded. "Thank you."

He took a few steps back, and then snapped his fingers as he remembered something. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "Give this to May, please."

"I will," Misty said as she held the piece of paper in her closed hand. He continued to walk back, never looking away from her. She smiled at him and before she knew it, he had blended in with the disappearing blue sky. Misty closed her eyes and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Mist, wake up."

"What?"

"Wake up, Mist. It's time for dinner."

Misty groggily opened her eyes. She was welcomed by a bright smile from Ash. "Sorry to wake you up, but you were crying…plus, dinner's ready."

She nodded as he helped her stand up. She looked around and quickly remembered where she was. It was the one-year anniversary of Gary's death, and they were all having a family dinner at his former home. She absently minded followed Ash to the dinning room where Dehlia, Samuel, and May already waited for them. With every step she took, she recalled Gary's message to her. Ash was waiting for her, and she had been waiting for him, but she had not taken the step because she felt guilty about Gary. Gary was going to be ok. She was going to be ok. Everything was going to be ok.

Dawn had died, and her parents had been found dead. They were all buried together a few days after. They knew that she did not deserve it, but at least she was not going to suffer any longer. May and the others were able to be saved from the poison and had recovered after several weeks of blood cleansing. Butch had told the police what he had told Ash that night, and they were able to show up in time and stop Maya from killing them all. Maya had been convicted and sent to jail, only to later be paralyzed by the inmates in her prison, and tied to a bed for the rest of her life. She would never move again. Jake was convicted for Gary's death, among other things, and was given life in prison. All of the Pokémon survived the attack, and they had chosen to stay under Professor Oak's care.

Misty was again brought back to reality when Ash pulled up a chair for her next to him. Samuel sat on the main seat of the rectangular table. Dehlia sat to his left, and May sat next to Dehlia. Misty looked at the food and smiled. Gary's cooking was very much like Samuel Oak's.

She lifted her hands to gather her utensils and a small piece of paper fell on her lap. She wondered how in the world had that ended up there and then she remembered. She looked at everyone else who was busy eating and she lowered her head. She opened up the paper and read. Tears formed in her eyes again. It was not later until everyone realized she was crying. She extended her hand and gave May the paper. She took it in her hands and stared at Misty as she did. Once the paper was in her hands, she opened it up and read it. Soon May joined Misty in her tear fest. The paper made it around the table, inviting more and more tears to fall. Once the paper made it back to May, she stood up from her chair and walked to the fireplace behind Samuel. A picture of Gary Oak rested on top of the fireplace. She straightened the paper as much as possible, and placed on the outside part of the frame.

She smiled at the picture of her brother before returning to her seat.

Everyone looked at her and then at each other.

They continued eating; they continued crying, but they continued smiling.

Small chatter could be heard in the dining room of the Oak's family home, right in front of a piece of paper that read: _"Mom, Dad and I are watching over you now."_

**THE END**

Well, there you have it. In case it is not specific enough, Ash and Misty do end up together in the end. I had a difficult time putting them back together because of all the crap that happened around them. Having been in Misty's situation, I knew how she felt and had to give her some closure with Gary. She did get over everything, and while Gary will always be in a special part of her heart, Ash is the owner of the rest. I hoped you liked it! This is the end of my writing career for a long, long, long, long, time. Wish the best to all :)


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